Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 13 (1968) (Pécs, 1971)

Régészet - Kralovánszky, Alán: The Paleosociographical Reconstruction of the Eleventh Century Population of Kérpuszta. Methodological Study

PALAEOSOCIOGRAPHICAL RECONSTRUCTION 93 by Szőke, and his results are identical with ours.

51 (Table 25.) We may state that in 49.4 per cent of the certainly observed cases of occurrence it was usual to put one S-ended hair ring at the right and the left side of the cranium each, thus the mentioned jewel used to be at both sides of the head once. The next in frequency, 28.2 per cent of the cases, is the custom to wear one ring only on the right side. Then follows the custom of wearing the S~ended hair ring on the left side, representing 11.7 per cent. The remaining cases occurred in 2.3, or 1.1 per cent, respectively. One S-ended hair ring was worn by child and adult equally. The custom of wearing the S-ended hair ring on the right and the left side was noticed in adult and juvenile graves equally, but we add that the overwhelming majority was seen on adult women. In those instances in which there were 1, 2 or more S-ended hair rings on one side, the right side was preferred (73.1 per cent). Worth noticing that the proportion of right and left side use is 4 : 1 to the favour of the right side, but we are unable to give an explanation. Nor can we say if this preference for the right side an actual or a mirroring one. The reason is that our knowledge does not contain a trace of a custom which would express the belief in the reversed world outlook with our eleventh century population so far. The single László was able to present some data as to this view from the tenth century.

52 Investigating the latter variations, we see that these customs, low in percentage but outstanding on account of their specific character, are the features of the age group from 15 to 45 years, г. e. the age of reproductive capacity. Also the mentioned grave no. 196 belongs to this age grop, containing the woman buried with 7 hair rings; but as the grave was disturbed and the original situation of the hair rings could not be defined, we did not present it in the Table. The above data prove that in 60.4 per cent of the occurrences have more than one hair ring, and 39.6 a single one. Further if we suppose that the number of hair rings mark some power over the same number of the female sex, we may suggest that 39.6 per cent of all females had a supervision of one, and 60.4 per cent of more than one female individual. Finally 48.2 per cent of all females may have been empowered to rule over others, and 51.8 per cent may have lacked such power. Summing up: one half of the female individuals of the community may have been made up partly of those who, owing to their poverty or any other reason 11 Szőke 1953 291. 52 László 1944 468. (е. д. justice), could control their own labour only, and partly of those who, for similar reasons, were bound to put their labour to the disposal of others. Here too we have pushed the problem to the extremes, aiming at the propounding of the problem and methodological experiment. The S-ended hair rings are unornamented in the overwhelming majority of cases (72 cases, 81.9 per cent) and they have a decoration only in 16 instances (18.1 per cent), inasmuch as the S-shaped broad parts are fluted or grooved. While the undecorated type shows an even division among children and adults in each age group, the ornamented specimens are found only with individuals beyond 15 years. We have extended our investigation also to the specimens with rings of a quadratic cross section, the edges of Which are situated on the inner or the outer circumference. They are found in infant and adult graves (Table 26). As regards the rings with a fluted ornament, their number is 1 in section I, 15 in section II, so that their use is extended as we proceed in time. The division as to material: silver 62,4 per cent; bronze 35.4 per cent; lead and white aloy 1.1 and 1.1 per cent, respectively. 3. Bead Its territorial extension is identical with that of the S-ended hair ring, but rather more even. The reason of the empty patches may be the same as with the S-ended hair rings (Fig. 9). 9. Те occurrence of beads within the cemetery. Kérpuszta. We refrain from detailed observations on beads (type, origin, way of use), since the thorough analysis made by B. Szőke™ makes it unnecessary. The following new data, furnished by anthropological research, deserve to be mentioned. Beads were worn by women (12.9 per cent) and children (10.1 per cent), г. e. girls as it follows from the statements made above, namely 20.5 per cent of the girls whose sex could 53 Szőke, 1953 292.