Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 56. (Budapest 1964)

Tóth, T.: The German cemetery of Hegykő (VI. c.). (A palaeoanthropological sketch)

In a summary assessment, the mongoloidé influences observed on the finds of Graves 25 and 81 will not essentially alter the dominantly europoide character of the anthropological composition. Still, rather for a control of this assumption, a biométrie and comparative analyis (Table VII) of the grade of facial flatness was made on the Hegykő finds. We have recently suggested (TÓTH, 1958, 1961b) that, in analysing the facial profile, it were desirable to include in the interpretation not only the average but also the partial biométrie values. The correctness of this critérium is shown also in the comparative study of the Hegykő finds. Unfortunately, the facial profile data of the Tulln and early Sarmatian (Hódmezővásárhely) series are not available, it is still striking that the differences are rather considerable between all available late Roman (Brigetio, Csákvár, Intercisa) and the Hegykő groups, — if only within the limits of the europoide facial profile mean (Table VII). In connection with any further evaluation, one cannot forego the strikingly agreeing average facial profile of the Hegykő and Bágyog(TÓTH, 1963) finds, whose probable reality is further stressed by the conforming uniformity of the distribution of the partial coefficient-values of the facial profile between the materials of the two localities (Table VII). It is also worthy of note that the general mean index of the Hegykő series considerably approaches not only that of the Bágyog finds but also that of the Sarmatians of the Azov area. In this latter group, however, the distribution of values of both the average and partial coefficients deviates from both the Hegykő and the Bágyog series, insofar as, in the Azov group, the partial (respectively the facial mean) coefficient of the zygomaxillary angle refers to a mongoloidé influence — though indubitably small — connected with the discernible flatness. Since as concerns the distinctness of the facial profile, the Hegykő series differs from the late Roman groups of the Transdanubium it were a justified assumption that, in the known section of the Hegykő population, the ethnic substratum relatively autochthonous as compared to the (eventually) immigrant Langobard group had not become completely Romanized. The diagnostic significance of the malar are The anthropological-systematical value of the os malare had first been recognized by Woo who, having analysed its characte ris lies on rich craniological scries, found (1937) that, of all applicable measurements, the data of the malar curvature indicate diagnostic differences between the racial groups of mankind. Shortly afterward, BISDON (1939) analysed the curvature of the os malare on Palestinian finds. In recent years, OSHINSKY (1962), ALEKSEIEW (1956, 1960, 1961a, b), BUNAK (1959, 1960), TROFIMOVA (1959, 1961), GADZHIYEV (1962), and other Soviet anthropologists treated the characteristics of the os malare. For pal eoanthropological studies, it was mainly ALEKSEIEW who systematically applied Woo's morphometric method. Since the process was as yet not employed in our horn: researches, we have performed the morphomHric analysis of the malar curvature on the Hegykő Great Migration material. Though, taking into account also the archeological identification of the Hegykő finds (BONA, NOVÁKI, cf.), the europoide state of the German ethnic groups is indubitable, — evinced by the very facial profile data (Table VII), — the means of the indices expressing the arc of the os malare (Table VIII) still submit valuable contributions to the delineation of the anthropological composition. The average malar curvature of the male skulls from the Hegykő cemetery approximates the means of French and English series. It should be noted that while the English series is contemporary, the French group is Early Medieval.