Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 77. (Budapest 1985)
Pap, I.: Data to the problem of artificial cranial deformation, Part 3.
ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATION ALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 77. Budapest, 1985 p. 281-289.. Data to the problem of artificial cranial deformation, Part 3. by I. PAP, Budapest Abstract —A comparative investigation of 21 artificially deformed skulls originating from the 5th century Gothic-Alan cemetery section of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta (Hungary) is presented^ With 2 tables. In the preceding two parts of my study (PAP 1983, 1984), I examined 21 individuals excavated in 1976-1980. Material and method In the process of this comparative analysis I was looking for answers to two questions. The first of these was how the series of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta fitted into the pattern of anthropological findings in the Carpathian Basin. When answering this question, I took into consideration 33 artificially deformed skulls of 18 series excavated in the territory of the Carpathian Basin. Of course a number of subadults (8 individuals) could not be included in the comparison with the adults. There were 3 other skulls with very few measurements that I also had to neglect. As a result I could compare the characteristics of 10 male and 12 female skulls with the 3 measurable male and 5 female skulls of the cemetery of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta. I carried out the analysis by comparing maximum cranial length (Martin 1), maximum cranial width (M 8), cranial height (M 17), porion-bregma height (M 20), forehead angle (M 32), basion-antibasion distance and glabella-inion distance (M 2). In addition I employed the index skull height/length (17/1), the 20/1 cranial index and the index of deformation (basion-antibasion distance/glabella-inion distance). The other goal of my analysis was to determine whether our series was similar in any way to the deformed skulls uncovered outside the Carpathian Basin. Therefore I compared the data of our cemetery to those of 18 male and 15 female series. I considered the problem of its relationship with the series of the Sarmatian Period the most important. For this reason I examined the findings specified as ones from the Sarmatian Period from the following regions east of the Carpathian Basin : Crimea, the territory between the Don and the Volga, the lower reaches of the Volga, southern Turkmenia and Kirghizea. In addition I compared our material to that of the cemetery of Byblos dated for the 4th century B.C. and to some Migration Period skulls found in Switzerland, and to the 8th-9th century skulls which have come to light in Bulgaria. In addition to the characteristics mentioned above, I took into account the frontal, parietal and occipital arcs and chordes (Martin 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31) and the convexity indices (29/26, 30/27, 31/28) calculated from these. Comparative investigations The cranial height values of the males are the most markedly similar to those of the male skulls of Letkés (Grave No. 2) and Mohács, while cranial height values of females present the same to those of female skulls of Szabadka, Kiszombor (Grave No. 389) and Szekszárd-Palánk (Grave No. 208). According to porion-bregma height, glabella-inion distance and basion-antibasion distance, the males are similar to the male skulls No. 54 and 57 of the Kiszombor cemetery and to those of Letkés (Grave No. 2) and Mohács, while the females resemble female skull No. 208 of Szekszárd-Palánk. The values of the 20/1 cranial index and the deformation index come nearest to those of males No. 54 and 57 Kiszombor and to those of females No. 389 and No. 208 of Szekszárd-Palánk. As a consequence of these, the male series of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta is similar to male skulls No. 54 and 57 of the Gepid cemetery of Kiszombor, to the 5th century skull of Mohács and to the Early Migration Period skulls from Letkés. Our female series is most markedly similar to skull No. 208 of the 5th century cemetery of Szekszárd-Palánk and to skull No. 389 of Kiszombor.
