A Debreceni Déri Múzeum Évkönyve 1975 (Debrecen, 1976)

Természettudomány - Farkas Gyula: Antropological Evaluation of the Burial-ground Magyarhomorog-Kónyadomb of the Copper Age

Gyula Farkas ANTHROPOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE BURIAL-GROUND MAGYARHOMOROG-KÓNYADOMB OF THE COPPER AGE The paper includes the results of anthropological examinations of 84 graves of the Copper Age, opened up in 1961-70 in Magyarhomorog-Kónyadomb. After describing the finds, the author examines the sexual distribution. According to identifiable sex and orientation the dead were buried in 74,2 p. с of the cases in compliance with the burial custom accepted as consistent, while in the remaining cases this „strict" burial custom was not observed. 48 graves supplied some informations on the age of life. The disproportion between the two sexes can be readily observed in the Adultus and Maturus ages. The significantly higher mortality rate of women is due to the fact that the changes within the organism due to the evolution into Man have increased the number of complications occuring in case of gravidity and parturition. Since the finds are conserved in a rather poor condition, an exact taxonomical description is not possible. The following conclusion can nevertheless be drawn: In opposition to observations on burial-grounds of the southern Hungarian Lowlands belonging to the Tiszapolgár and Bodrogkeresztur civilization, the population of Magyarhomorog is mainly characterized by the frequency of the Cromagnoids. Of course, the poor condition of the finds has also reduced the possibility of specifying the number and quality of eventual anatomical variations and paleo-pathological changes; such observations could be accomplished only in seven graves. Although these cases are obviously not representative of all the anatomical variations and paleo-pathological changes, its seems nevertheless that these symptoms (perf

oratio fossae olecrani humeri; microdentia,- Pachione's granules on the endocranial surface; indication of trepanation on the interparietal part of the os occipitale) may have occured unfrequently within this population. 171