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.

two periods sometime during the 9—10th centuries A. D„ but which was probably quickly assimilated. Cranial measurements from the Árpád Period suggest the shortening and widening of the brain case, which at the same time also became lower. The low facial skeleton from the same skulls however, indicates the persistence of the Avar Period characteristics. According to the metric data this change may have been primarily the result of the continuing Western Transdanubian distribution of group С of the conquering population. This resulted in its continuity in the craniological characteristics of people from the Árpád Period in this region. This theory is confirmed by the small distance calculated between the two samples. Consider however, the metric characteristics of the "western Germanic" Jura and "western Frankish" samples (No. 66, 69). In the light of these data the possibility may not be ruled out that this change was brought about by other "foreign" settlers. In any case, the presence of a population of Germanic origin in Western Transdanubia is possible in light of the fact that there was Frankish rule directly effecting this territory in the 9th century A. D. Northwestern region Relationships between the Avar Period populations and groups from the Period of the Hungarian Conquest from this region could not yet be studied due to a lack of finds associated with the conquering people. It is interesting however, that the Avar Period population from this area seems to be similar to group С finds from the neighboring territories. This similarity probably may be explained by common predecessors in Eastern Europe, although one should not exclude the possibility that local Avar Period inhabitants from the conquered territories under discussion were relatively quickly assimilated by certain strata of the invading communities. The Avar Period population of the Northwestern region is very similar to the Árpád Period people who followed them in the same area. Thus, continuity here may also be demonstrated. In spite of the great degree of similarity however, cranial measurements taken on the sample from the Árpád Period again differ from those characteristic of the Avar Period series. This phenomenon may be explained by the presence of a different ethnic group around the 9—10th centuries A. D. Both the brain case and the facial skeleton characteristic of the population from the Árpád Period are slightly longer, wider and higher than those measured in the Avar Period group. Comparative data suggest that this change may have been caused by Moravian influence from a nortwestern direction. This explanation is illustrated by the example of 9th century A. D. Mikulcice series. Because this region was under Moravian rule during the 9th century A. D. the presence of a Moravian

—Slavic population of Mikulcice character coincides with the historical record and as such may be assumed to be reasonable. B) Analysis of the regional groups within the Carpathian Basin produced the following information on the continuity of the populations involved: a) the continuity of the Avar Period population could be recognized in both Western and Eastern Transdanubia and in the Northwestern region. This continuity however, seems to be disrupted in the area between the Danube and Tisza rivers ; b) the majority of the inhabitants during the Árpád Period were descendants of the local populations found by the conquering groups; c) intermingling between the conquering peoples and local populations seem to have started first with group C. IX. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE GROUPED SAMPLES A) The last step of comparative statistical studies was carried out in order to evaluate the distances between the grouped samples from the Carpathian Basin and those which remained outside this groups. Consequently, it seemed reasonable to form groups between the Transcarpathian series as well. This procedure resulted the following groups :(

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) — the Late Bronze Age group (the Kazakhstan sample of the Andronovo culture and the Lower Volga region sample of the Timber grave culture: No. 2 and 4); — the Tagar group (samples I

—II

—III belonging to this culture: No. 12, 13, 14); — the group from the Altaic foothills (samples from the Scythian, Sarmatian and "Turkic nomadic" Periods of the discussed area: No. 11, 16, 47); — the "Saka" group (No. 8, 10); — the "Usune" group (No. 9, 17, 18, 19); — the Tuz Gyr group (Tuz Gyr and the "Nomads" from Southern Tadzhikistan: No. 20, 21); — the "Sarmatian" group (No. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27); — the "Late Scythian" group (Northern Pontic Early: No. 7 and Late Scythian Period samples: Nikolaevka — Kazatskoe, Zolotaya Balka, Neapol, Zavetnoe: No. 28, 29, 30, 31); — the Chernakhovian group (samples of the Chernakhovian culture from the Middle Dnepr region and Moldavia: No. 32, 33); — the "eastern Finnic" group (samples from the Lower Kama river region and from Cheptsa river Basin: No. 34, 36); — the mountain "nomadic Turkic" group (samples from the Altaic, Minusinsk Basin and Tien Shan regions: No. 46, 48, 49); — the Saltovo group (Vekhnie Saltovo and Sarkel II: No. 52, 54); — the Skalistoe group (Skalistoe and Kairy: No. 56, 57); — the Alushta group (Alushta and Mingechaur VII: No. 51, 58); — the "eastern Slavic" group ("Dregovichians", "Polyans", "Severyans" and "Radimichians" : No. 59, 61, 62, 63); — the dolichocran "Germanic" group (Änderten, Mannheim, Nusplingen, Weingarten: No. 64, 67, 68, 71); — the mesocran "Germanic" group (Bonaduz, Jura, western Francs: No. 65, 66, 69); (17) Zs. K. Zoffmann physical anthropologist who was in charge of reviewing this study encouraged me to carry out this kind of examination. Grateful thanks are due to her other suggestions she offered during my work. 122