A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 33-35. - 1990-1992 (Nyíregyháza, 1993)
László Szathmáry: Importance of Pre-auricular Region Sex Determination (in the analysis of a medieval sample from NE Hungary) (lektorálta: Marcsik Antónia)v67
Our sample includes those skeleton remains only in which sex could be determined on the basis of at least 8 characteristic features, on the one hand, and at least 3 of these features could be found in the post-cranial bones, on the other hand. We had to adhere to these respects of sorting so that the possibility of errors coming from heterogeneous representation could be limited. Within the sample the pre-auricular sulcus and the tubercle of piriformis muscle of each skeleton were primarily examined with a view to the degrees of sexualization determined by ACSÁDI and NEMESKÉRI (1970.), which are the following: hyperfeminine (-2), feminine (-1), indifferent (0), masculine (+1) and hypermasculine (+2). Besides, 22 secondary sex characters were analysed according to the stages of sexualization (Table 2.) so that the importance of pre-auricular region in sex determination could be valued. Results From the results of preliminary examinations three conclusions could be drawn: 1. Masculine variants can't be differentiated unambiguously from hypermasculine variants, so it is impossible to distinguish five degrees of sexualization relying on pre-auricular sulcus alone. ' 2. It hits against difficulties to distinguish feminine variants from hyperfeminine ones on the basis of the tubercle of piriformis muscle alone. 3. It's advisable to consider these two charcteristics together. On the basis of this the 5 stages of sex-variants can be characterized as follows (Fig. 1.): Hyperfeminine (-2) The primary feature of feminine variants is the sulcus. The sulcus is deep, its border on both longitudinal sides can be distinguished easily. There's no tubercle, but rarely the edge of the sulcus may be mildly uneven because of the sticking piriformis muscle (Fig. 2.). Feminine (-1) The sulcus extent but shallow, it hasn't got a definite border but it goes over to the surface of ilium bone unbrokenly. If there is any tubercle at all, then it is of eminence character, small, and it takes a slightly outward direction 1 from the pelvis instead of levelling with the plane determined by the arms of the greater sciatic notch (as it is in the case of masculine variant), because that place is occupied by the sulcus (the tubercle usually takes an oblique position to the above mentioned plane - Fig. 3.). Indifferent (0) The sulcus is almost planed and can hardly be perceived. Tubercle can generally be found, then it's narrow and in most cases its surface isn't rough (Fig. 4.). 1 By the direction of the tubercle I mean the straight line, in the elongation of the crest of tubercle. 69
