Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 20. 1980 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1983)

Tanulmányok – Abhandlungen - Éry Kinga, K.: Comparative statistical studies on the physical anthropology of the Carpathian basin population between the 6–12th centuries A. D. p. 89–141.

The brain case has medium dimensions (mesocran, orthocran, metriocran, metriometop), the facial skeleton and orbits are medium wide, medium height (mesen, mesoconch) and the nasal breadth is similarly moderate. Western Transdanubia This population is represented by the following six series: No. 85, 93, V, VI, VIII, XI. Small populations of Mongoloid type are known from various parts of Western Transdanubia (Mosonszentjános, Sopron, Bágyogszovát-Gyűrhegy, Győr, Öskü etc.). In spite of these however, the majority of the inhabitants (just as shown by these samples) displayed entirely Europoid characteristics. The brain case is long, narrow and high (dolichocran, orthocran, acrocran, eurymetop). The facial skeleton and orbita are medium wide and low (mesen, chamaeconch), while the nasal width is also medium size. Of the four regional groups from the Avar Period the cranial length of the Western Transdanubian inhabitants is the largest and has the narrowest and highest brain case. At the same time the have the narrowest and lowest facial skeleton. Although the series available for this study indicate that the distribution area of this group did not extend beyond they Bakony Mountain in the north, a few additional data suggest that this population in fact reached the Danube river bordering Northern Transdanubia (Csorna-Hosszúdomb, Bottyán 1971; Bágyogszovát-Gyűrhegy: layers containing craniological material with Europoid characteristics, Dezső 1968). Northwestern region To date only Europoid population is published from this territory. It is represented by the following three series: No. 84, 96, 97. It is certain however, that populations of Mongoloid or Euro-mongoloid character also inhabited this region. Unfortunately, the proportion is absolutely unknown due to the paucity of detailed publications (Vlcek 1954). These peoples had medium long, medium wide and medium high brain case (dolichocran, orthocran, metriocran, metriometop), their facial skeleton was medium wide and medium high (mesen), their orbita was low and medium wide (chamaeconch), and their nasal width was also medium size. C) The generalized distances between the four regional groups are shown in the relevant section of Table 12. These values show the similarities between the groups from the area between the Danube and Tisza rivers and from Eastern Transdanubia respectively. The Eastern Transdanubian regional group is also similar to the one from the Northwestern Carpathian Basin. Further similarities occur between the regional group from the Northwestern part and the group from Western Transdanubia. It is difficult to determine whether the first of these similarities (i. e. the resemblance of the regional groups from the area between the Danube and Tisza rivers to the group located in Eastern Transdanubia) is the result of the ancient relationship between these groups. Namely, these populations were previously related in an area outside the Carpathian Basin. Table 12 also signals a warning. Its data suggest that the original craniological makeup of the Eastern Transdanubian group was slightly modified by Late Roman elements found at this spot, which were successfully assimilated by the population discussed here. Similarities observed between the Transdanubian population and the group representing the Northwestern region indicate a north-south connection between these two territories. Thus, it is even more surprising that no similarities were found between the two Transdanubian regional groups. This observation is even more interesting in the light of the fact that these two populations were not divided by major geographical barriers such as presented by the Danube river, between other groups which are more similar to each other. This is why it is suggested that the morphological isolation of the Avar Period population in Western Transdanubia resulted from either ethnic or political differences. D) The description of regional groups was mostly limited to the presentation of Europoid types. Mongoloids and Euro-mongoloids of the Avar Period were not discussed extensively because this study is not concerned with the detailed analysis of taxonomic problems. As has been mentioned however, there are only two geographical regions to date which contained Mongoloid remains in significant numbers. These regions are the area between the Danube and Tisza rivers and Western Transdanubia. Although no detailed research has concentrated on this question there are some signs that the relationships between the Avar Period Mongoloids and Europoids were different in these two regions. Series from the area between the Danube and Tisza rivers revealed more Euro-mongoloid elements than those from Western Transdanubia. This evidence of intermingling between the two populations is almost entirely missing in the Western Transdanubian region. Bágyogszovát— Gyűrhegy is one of the best examples of this situation. At this site one part of the population is entirely Europoid while the other is purely Mongoloid. Taxonomically no transitional traits occur, although the size of the cemetery suggests that is was used for a relatively long time (Dezső 1968). Consequently, it is likely that interaction between the Europoid and Mongoloid populations had longer traditions in the region between the Danube and Tisza rivers than in Western Transdanubia. In addition, the connection may also have been different in nature (exogamy vs. endogamy?) In order to clarify this problem and cast light on its historical background it would be necessary to know the exact chronological position of the Mongoloid population which inhabited Western Transdanubia. V. THE 9th CENTURY PERIOD It is a historical fact that the military and political fall of the Avar rule resulted in a new constellation within the Carpathian Basin. The former Avar territory was divided into three parts which fell into the territories of three powers by the beginning of the 9th century. The southern and eastern areas were controlled by the Bulgarian Empire. The western section belonged to the Frankish Empire, 104