Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 69. (Budapest 1977)

Lotterhof, E.: On the problem of gracilization in the Central Danubian Basin, II.

On the Problem of Gracilization in the Central Danubian Basin, II. by E. LOTTERHOF, Budapest Abstract — We examined the body weight in this part of the study-series dealing with the problems of gracilization. This character in itself is inadequate to determine the physique or to compare them with other populations. To do this the adaptation of the so-called quadratic weight-stature index is needed. With 1 table. In one of my previous studies (LOTTERHOF 1976) I have already dealt with the problem of gracilization and briefly referred to some monographs and studies. It was DEBETS (1948, 1961) who studied the problem especially thoroughly. Having examined the population of the territories of the Soviet Union he came to the conclusion that the appearance of the process of gracilization can be observed on territories first where agriculture had evolved and became a dominant factor. On these territories an intensive process of gracilization can be observed. DEBETS analyzed not only the importance of the social economic changes among the probable reasons of the phenomenon but the climatic factors as well. (Similar conclusions were reached by TÓTH 1971, 1973). Namely the process made an earlier start in the Mediterranean than in Northern Europe. VELIKANOVA (1970), too, refers to the spreading of the robust forms on the northern and eastern parts of the settling territories of the Europid race and to that of the more gracile forms on its southern and western parts. The process is only a tendency, i.e. from time to time not the decrease of the robustieity of the skeleton, but its increase can be observed. This phenomenon has been observed especially well in the territory of Ukraine. DEBETS figures that this fact points to the population exchange, i. e. the previously gracilized forms were replaced by not yet gracile people. But to justify this statement one has to prove that the robustieity of the skeleton does not increase by any reason. But these are no such process yet. Studying the population of the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age of Ukraine, KONDUKTOROVA (1973) dealt with the problem of gracilization, too. The basic process characteristic for the inhabitants of the territory is the decrease of the robustieity of the skeleton. The most important deviation from this course of change can be observed among the skeletons from the Neolithic and Mesolithic Ages, i.e. the Neolithic skeletons are more robust. This appears both in the structure of the bones of the skeleton and that of the skull. According to the author this deviation is clearly reflected to a certain extent by the effect of tribes of southern origin in the Mesolithic Age. In the course of TÓTH'S (1971, 1973) comparative researches he also came to the conclusion that the process took place in the territory of the Mediterranean during the Mesotlithic and Neolithic Ages first and made a later start in the population of Western and Central Europe. The process must have been influenced by social economic factors, but the transmigration of more gracilized groups from the Mediterranean must have taken part in it as well. On the basis of this comparison it was possible to outline the northern area of gracilization and according to the author its boundaries lie in the temperate-continental zone of the Eurasian continent, from the mouth of Rhine to the Thien-Shan. SCHWIDETZKY (1962) also dealt with the problem of gracilization. If one compares more series of finds of different ages from the same territory one comes to the conclusion that the later population is in the possession of a more delicate bone-contexture than the previous one. As an example SCHWIDETZKY mentions North Africa, Near East and the Soviet Union. In the course of the research of the material of the Near East she draws the conclusion that the short and gracile groups can be supposed to be the representatives of plant cultivation. Whereas the tall and robust groups can be moderately regarded as the representatives of later ways of lives in the history of civilization. SCHWIDETZKY points out, too, that in the South gracilization was tranquilized at an earlier date since it began even