Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 60. (Budapest 1968)
Ginsburg, V. V.: An anthropological characterization of the Sarmatians in the Volga area
An Anthropological Characterization of the Sarmatians in the Volga Area By V. V. GINSBTTRG, Leningrad* On the anthropological type of the Sarmatians, living in the not too distant past in the area of the Soviet Union, it was only from G. F. DEBETS' paper, published in 1936, that we had some information; the paper discussed two relatively small osteological series deriving from Saratov beyond the Volga and from the County of Astrahan. Prior to these, some Sarmatian crania originating from Western Kazahstan and the Ural area were studied (M. N. KOMA.RO VA, 1927). At the same tima, G. F. DEBETS remarked that the problem of the etbnogenesis of the Sarmatians was not to be solved satisfactorily, since there were no available anthropological finds deriving from the transitional period between the Bronze Age and the Sarmatian cultures. Excavations conducted in the fifties made it possible to study not only the Sarmatians of the Lower Volga area, but also the population of the earlier period, the Sauromatians. The Sauromatian crania of the Lower Volga area were studied by N. M. GLASKOVA and V. P. TSHTETSOV (1960), as well as by B. V. FIRSTEIN (1961). This latter author, summarizing all Sauromatian materials, pointed out that they belonged to the Europoide great race and, furthermore, stood near the Bronze Age populations of the Lower Volga area and Kazahstan, and the synchronous population of the Predgorny-Altay as well. The basis of the type-composition of the Sauromatians had evidently been the characters of the Protoeuropoide features of the Bronze Age population of Western Kazahstan and those of the Volga area (preponderantly Andronovo, Northern, and Mediterranean). It was merely on a single female cranium that clear indications of a Mongoloidé influence have been established. One may, however, note that the anthropological type of the Sauromatians differs from the Scythians of the Dnyeper area, which latter are characterized by a more elongately shaped head and a narrower face. The large-scale excavations, exposing many hundreds of cemeteries in the fifties of our century, made it possible to study relatively great cranial series of Sarmatians originating from the Lower Volga area, Saratov, Volgograde, and Astrahan (V. V. GINSBTJRG, 1959; N. M. GLASKOVA and V. P. TSCHTETSOV, 1960; B. V. FIRSTEIN, 1961), as well as to analyse the Sarmatian finding of the Lower Dnyepr area in Ukraine (T. S. KONDUKTOROVA, 1956). The small cranial series of Sarmatians from the Don area was studied by L. G. VUITSH (1958). During their entire course of history, embracing eight centuries, the Sarmatians belonged to the Europoide great race, with its diverse types and cranial index variations from dolichocrany to brachycrany. Still, the predominant cranial type is mesobrachycrany. In general, the Sarmatians are characterized by mesocrany, a medium high brain case, moderately arching forehead and averagely developed glabella. The * Institute of Ethnography, Academy of Sciences of the USSR
