Somogyi Múzeumok Közleményei 17/A. - Régészet (2006)

Köhler Kitti: Őskori tömegsír embertani leletei Balatonkeresztúrról

96 The Physical Anthropological Analysis of the Prehistoric Mass Grave at Balaton keresztúr KITTI KÖHLER In 2003, during the rescue excavations preceding the construction of the M7 motorway, a prehistoric mass grave (B938) containing the remains of five children, two women and a man was uncovered at the site of Balatonkeresztúr-Réti-dulő. The dating of the burials is problematic, since beside the human remains no other finds were discovered in the pit. Based on the burial rite and the material from the nearby features the mass grave can probably be dated to the Late Copper Age. This, however, seems to be contradicted by the results of the physical anthropological analysis. All three adults belong undoubtedly to the brachymorph typological variant. The man S-17 is a Taurid type with planoccipital nape profile, while the female skulls S-15 and S16 belong to the Alpine type with curvoccipital nape profile. The latter appears in the earlier phases of the prehistory of the Carpathian Basin, among others in the population of the Late Copper Age Baden culture as well. The Taurid type, however, is first attested here in the population of the Early Bronze Age Bell Beaker culture. Later on this component can be found in the population of other Early Bronze Age populations as well, e.g. in the Gáta-Wieselburg and Kisapostag cultures. Consequently, it seems that the physical anthropological parallels of the skeletons in the mass grave would support a date in the Early Bronze Age.