Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 60. (Budapest 1968)

Ginsburg, V. V.: An anthropological characterization of the Sarmatians in the Volga area

CRANIO LOGICAL SERIES (MALES) Sru^naya Andronovo cult. Sauromathians Scythians Saks Saks Volga Central-, East Kazakhstan Dnyeper East Kazakhstan South Pamir Firshtein Ismagulov, Ginsburg Firshtein, Debets Debets Ginsburg Ginsburg Glaskova 15-42 8-18 11-22 13-44 3-5 i 11-14 188. 6 185.4 184. 8 189. 7 176. 7 187. 8 138.4 141.5 144. 6 138. 3 146. 2 131. 8 136. 2 136.8 134. 3 136. 6 130. 0 Ï36.4 136. 6 137.4 138.8 133. 9 133.9 126. 1 70.3 68.3 71.5 70.0 68.4 73. 6 81.4 86.1 80.8 84. 1 84. 3 80. 2 33.9 31.4 31.4 33.9 25. 7 34. 2 137. 0 138.1 140.0 137.6 150.0 135.9 128.3 127.4 129. 3 128.1 132.0 124.6 73.4 76.4 78. 3 73. 0 82. 7 70. 2 51.4 50.5 51. 5 52. 3 51. 2 58. 2 49.0 49.3 48. 8 50. 5 52.4 46. 1 66. 0 62.4 59.5 57. 7 48. 2 64.4 58.0 60. 2 53. 7 55. 2 36. 2 54.9 74.2 73.4 76.6 76. 4 74.8 81. 2 3.6 3. 22 3. 32 3. 27 2. 8 3. 14 5. 88 5. 15 6. 06 5, 80 4. 75 4. 17 and which seems to be transitional from the types of the earlier Bronze Age cultures in the area between the Volga, the Don, and the Caucasus to more brachycranial and gracile types characterizing a significant portion of the population in the Northern Caucasus, the Volga, and the Don area, around the border of the first and second millennia A.D. V. V. BTTNAK described an analogous type of a more brachycranial variety from the Northern Caucasus, defining it as an Eurasian steppe-type (1953), to which we consider as nearly related the "steppe-type" demonstrated by us in the Sarmatians of Volgograde (1959) and in the slightly later population of the Don area. As a second type, though represented by a considerably smaller amount, is the Andronovo one demonstrated among the Volgograde Sarmatians beyond the Volga. This Europoide type can also be characterized by mesocrany, a well developed glabella, wide and not high face, low orbita, and strongly projecting nose. The Andronovo type was a characteristical feature of the Bronze Age population of Kazahstan. In the Iron Age, the Andronovo type became more gracile in the Sauromatians and the Sarmatians in the western part of the area, and in the Saks and Usunys in the eastern confines of the region. In the Saratov and Ural groups of the Sarmatians, the amount of crania showing the Andronovo or some nearly related cranium is significantly greater than in the Volgograde or Astrahan groups. In the Astrahan group, studied considerably less than the other ones, the interfluvial Central Asian type is well observable. This is a brachycranial, Europoide type, with a straight forehead and weakly developed glabella, medium face height and width, a medium rate of horizontal profile, medium deep fossa canina, medium high orbita, and moderately projecting nose. This type is well represented also in the Ural group, displaying to a certain rate the deviation of the characters toward the Mongoloidé. The Mongoloidé effect can, though rarely, be observed also in other groups of the Sarmatians in the Volga area, and mainly in the later period. As com-