Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. A Szent István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 34. 2004 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (2005)

Tanulmányok – Abhandlungen - Bartosiewicz, László: Skull fragment of a late neolithic auroch (Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827) from Mórágy–Tűzkődomb (Tolna county, western Hungary. XXXIV. p. 41–44. T. I–III.

Alba Regia XXXIV, 2005 LÁSZLÓ BARTOSIEWICZ SKULL FRAGMENT OF A LATE NEOLITHIC AUROCHS {BOS PRIMIGENIUS BOJANUS 1827) FROM MÓRÁGY-TŰZKŐDOMB (TOLNA COUNTY, WESTERN HUNGARY) INTRODUCTION In this study, cranial dimensions, including horn core measurements from an aurochs (Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827) bull found at the same settlement are reviewed using a modern reference sample. Grigson

1 pointed out that although aurochs was of large size across Europe, almost all cranial measurements of its postglacial form overlapped with those of large domestic cattle. Holocene (mesolithic and neolithic) aurochs skull measurements from Hungary were used as a reference sample in the evaluation of this specimen. Results were considered significant at the p < 0.05 level of probability. MATERIAL AND METHODS Settlement debris from late neolithic sites in Hungary usually contain heavily fragmented aurochs bones. The climate at that time gradually turned colder and more humid. As part of a broader regional trend, hunting and fishing apparently regained economic importance in the Carpathian Basin during this period.

2 The same trend may also be visible at the late neolithic, Lengyel culture site of Mórágy-Tűzkődomb in Tolna County, southern Transdanubia in Western Hungary.

3 At this site, where as much as 56% of the identifiable bones originated from wild animals (Plate ., Fig. 1). The top of the neurocranium from an aurochs bull was found intact in the northern third of Square В/П of the Lengyel culture settlement of Mórágy-Tűzkődomb (Plate II, Fig. 2). It came to light at a depth of 108 cm in Pit 1 whose oval outline on the surface measured 180 by 150 cm. A layer of daub was found below the skull fragment at a depth of 145 cm, while the greatest depth of this pit was 175 cm from the surface. The dimensions of the neurocranium fragment with horn cores are summarised in Table 1. The measurements, taken after von den Driesch

4 are shown in Plate II, Fig. 3. General measurements, mm Intercornual ridge 233.5 Smallest frontal width 252.4 Span between the damaged tips of the horn core 940.0* Horn core measurements, mm Left Right Outer length of the horn core 700.0* Chord length 453.5 Greatest diameter at base 122.5 119.4 Smallest diameter at base 102.6 110.2 Base circumference 360.2 356.5 Table 1 : Measurements taken on the neurocranium fragment of the neolithic aurochs bull from Mórágy (*estimates) Analyses in this paper were carried out against the background of craniometric information on Holocene aurochs in Hungary available in the literature. The composition of reference materials used in this study is summarised in Table 2. Grigson 1978,140. Zalai-Gaál 1983; Bartosiewicz et al. 1994, 111. Bartosiewicz 1994. Driesch 1976,27-29. 41