Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 13 (1968) (Pécs, 1971)
Régészet - Kralovánszky, Alán: The Paleosociographical Reconstruction of the Eleventh Century Population of Kérpuszta. Methodological Study
THE PALAEOSOCIOGRAPHICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ELEVENTH CENTURY POPULATION OF KÉRPUSZTA A Methodological Study A. KRALOVÁNSZKY I. Society consits of single human beings; thus if we want to know and understand society, this powerful living source of energy really, we have to go down to the smallest unit of energy, the individual. This trend opens up an extraordinary number of new research possibilities also in the field of historical reconstruction. Namely, as regards the data of anthropology, research was based mainly on the definition of the type (taxon) so far, pushing the basic biological features and qualities of man into the background. This happened in spite of the fact that the sex, the age the pathological and inherited qualities of the individual offer a most valuable chance of palaeosociographical definition, and these data are actually furnished by palaeo-anthropology in our day. Therefore the complex valuation of any ancient cemetery, uncovered by archaeology and containing anthropological material, is impossible without the knowledge of these data today. 1 The biological and archeological data of the individuals have to be analyzed also in their relation to the community. Valuation can follow after this micro-reconstruction. However, before our attempt at a micro-reconstruction we have to fulfil the following conditions : 1. We ought to known, which questions may be answered by the available material (the right way of putting a question). 2 1 In order to secure the really verified results of anthropology, it is a fundamental requirement to save the entire anthropological material. Consequently neither the archaeologist nor the anthropologist is entitled as yet to decide, which and how much anthropological material he saves. Each bone is to be saved, whatever its preservation, since it is indispensable for the full biological reconstruction to know all the data, even if the quick anthropological analysis is not possible in the given case. At the same time any chemical damage should be averted from the bones. Nemeskéri 1962; Lengyel, 1966. 2 This is one of the most difficult requirements, dependent on the knowledge or ignorance, the sound moderation, courage and phantasy or the 2. We ought to know the measure of probability of the answers (the representative values of the sample). 3 3. We ought to define the archaeological and anthropological data individually and sequently (verified individual definition). 4 4. We ought to express the archaeological and anthropological data together with a common denomination (transformation of the data to numbers). 5 5. We ought to fix the data in a system which involves the investigation of the manifold relations (evaluation by punched card system, the drawing up of statistical tables).' 6. We ought to find all the data and points of view inherent in the material, and also to observe and evaluate the change: the trend, ratio and pace of numerical data (complex evaluation). biased outlook of the research worker. In our judgment, both the interest of the author and of the branch of science demand the literary adviser, bound by scientific ethics, to strive at the utmost valuation possible. 3 Ery—Kralovánszky—Nemeskéri, 1963. 4 The definition of archaeological material (matter, form function, age etc.) present no special difficulty already. The archaeological phenomenon (the fact and reason of discolouration; the fact, way and time of disturbance, etc.) in more problematical. — Also biological data should be individually defined and verified. At the definition of sex the grade of sexualization (Ery —Kralovánszky— Nemeskéri, 1963, 51—53), at the definition of age the limits of the yeards of deceases (Nemeskéri— Harsányi—Acsádi, 1960, 70—95); at the description of pathological deformations the grade of seriousness (Gáspárdy—Nemeskéri, 1960); at the statement of inherited features the definition of race (Lipták, 1962) should be given. 5 One of the gravest difficulties of researches made so far is the ignorance as regards the questions, how many data are available and in which measure those data may be used for comparison. Consequently we don't understand each other, as each .research worker proceeds according the rules of his own thinking. In valuation the subjective outlook is possible, even necessary in a given instance, but the observation and publication of data demand the strictest objectivity and system. The safest way to this aim is the combinative expression by numbers. Kralovánszky, 1959a; 1964. 6 Fischer, 1938; Haizer— Cook, 1960; Kralovánszky, 1965.
