Balogh Csilla – P. Fischl Klára: Felgyő, Ürmös-tanya. A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Monumenta Archeologica 1. (Szeged, 2010)

The human skeletal remains from the Avar cemetery at Felgyő

Felgyő, Ürmös-tanya avar kori temető humán csontvázmaradványai 391 WENGER 1968 Wenger, S.: Data to the anthropology of the Avar Period population of the Transdanubia. AnthrHung 8 (1968) 59-96. WENGER 1974 Wenger S.: Dél-Dunántúl avar kori népességének embertani problémái. — On the anthropological problems of the Avar-age populations int he Southern Transdanubia. AnthrHung 13 (1974) 5-86. WENGER 1977 Wenger, S.: Analyse anthropologiques de nouvelles découvertes de Keszthely (Transdanubia) provenant de l'époque avaré. AnthrHung 15 (1976-77) 125-190. THE HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS FROM THE AVAR CEMETERY AT FELGYŐ Antónia MARCSIK The main goal of the study is to contribute to a better knowledge of the ethnogenetic characteristics of the Avar period population living in the Danube-Tisza Interfluve through the anthropological analysis of the human skeletal remains from the Avar cemetery at Felgyő-Ürmös-tanya. Presented here are the skeletal remains of 166 individuals brought to light during the excavations conducted between 1971 and 1977, and in 2009. Their state of preservation varied, ranging from medium to poorly preserved. Over 100 assemblages contained both the skull and the post-cranial bones, the other assemblages were made up of only the skull or the post-cranial bones. The most important metric data of 47 adult skulls and 58 adult post-cranial bones could be recorded. The age distribution was as follows: children (inf. I and inf. II) and juveniles accounted for 35.4 per cent (58 individuals), while adults for 64.6 per cent (108 individuals). The breakdown according to sex of the adults was as follows: 55 per cent males (60 individuals) and 45 per cent females (49 individuals). Only one of the juvenile individuals could be sexed (Table 1). The grouping of the metric data according to the classification system elaborated by Valery P. Alekseev and Georgy F. Debetz showed that the length, breadth and height of male neurocraniums could be assigned to the medium range, as could the indices of the forehead and the viscerocranium. The breadth of the orbits was slightly lower than the medium values, while its height together with the nasal area corresponds to the medium values. The measurements of the female neurocraniums too showed medium values, the base of the skull was slightly lower than the medium, while the other indices corresponded to the male ones. The average height of males was 168 cm (N=38), that of females was 157 cm (N=20). The height of males ranged between 160 cm and 177 cm, and showed an even scatter. Slightly higher statures could be noted for fifteen individuals: fifteen individuals were between 170 cm and 177 cm tall, of which five were 175 177 cm tall. The height of females ranged between 150 cm and 163 cm. The values between these two extremes showed an even scatter. Three females had a height of 163 cm. The atypical and typical cases of bone tuberculosis are noteworthy in the paleopathology of the Felgyő series. Especially noteworthy are the severe deformations on the bones of the women buried in Graves 205 and 244, whose morphological and microbiological analysis indicate bone tuberculosis (MACZEL 2003). The Felgyő population was dominated by Europids (Table 4). In addition to the Mediterranean-(Nordoid)-x type characterised by a dominance of mesocrans, a major Cro-Magnoid component could be noted, especially crA (-x) and crB (-x) and their variants. A so-called brachycran group (br-x, chamaecran-brachycran-x) could also be distinguished in the taxonomic make-up, with a slightly higher proportion among females. Robust (slightly archaic) traits can be noted among the Europid males (Graves 122, 160, 172, 193 and 233: prominent glabella, arcus superciliaris, strongly inclined frontal bone, prominent protuberantia occipitalis, linea nuchae superior et inferior). Three male and female skulls could be assigned to the Mongoloid race, representing Sinid, Baikal and Inner Asian types (and their sum traits). Two child skulls likewise represented the Mongolid type. The proportion of Europo-Mongolids in the series is quite significant. The Sinid, Baikal and Inner Asian (as well as the Sayan) types accounted for a significant proportion of the Avar period population of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (LIPTÁK 1959). and their presence can be noted to a larger or smaller degree in all series with a Mongolid dominance. In contrast to populations characterised by Europo-Mongolids (Üllő I) and mainly Europid types, the population of the former sites can be regarded as genuine Avars. Variants with robust (archaic) Europid forms resembling the individuals from Felgyő have been identified in Group II of the Kunpeszér cemetery (MARCSIK 2009. 178-180). The Penrose distance analysis indicated that the Felgyő series, characterised by an Europid dominance with Europo-Mongolid and Mongolid components, is closest to the Üllő I series. Marcsik Antónia H-6771 Szeged, Májva u. 23. E-mail: marcsik@bio. u-szeged. hu