Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 94. (Budapest 2002)

Matskási, I.: Bicentenary of the Hungarian Natural History Museum

The collection of fossils coming from the middle and late Stone Age Bone remnants of international significance can also be found in the collection of the Department. From time to time, researchers of faraway countries will come with the mission of analysing fossils of outstanding importance. Revealed in Subalyuk Cave, in 1932, the bone remains of a 3-4- year old child and a 25-35 year old Neanderthal woman living in the middle Palaeolith, approximately 30-35,000 years ago, are also the pride of the Department. The Hungarian representatives of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis lived mainly in caves and under the shelter of drip-rocks, they gathered in small groups but were not averse to taking up their abode in the open in the course of warmer months, either. Unlike this was the case in earlier periods, they would deliberately bury their dead. Cave Subalyuk is located at the edge of Cserépfalu (Borsod county). The remains of an adult woman and a small child came down to our time together with those of a fireplace and the bones of animals living in the neighbourhood. The Department prides itself with cave finds from late Palaeolithic, as well (Istállóskő, Pálffy-barlang, Balla-barlang, Berva-völgy, Pilisszántó). The collection of post-glacial populations Although our collection, containing the remains of about 30,000 individuals, is remarkable also by virtue of its quantity, the fact that it covers a fairly long time-span is even more important than that. Especially the material of the migration period is ample; in this respect it is one of the richest collections of Europe. In terms of Hungarian prehistory, the authentic skull and skeleton remains coming from the time of the Hungarian Conquest and Árpád'

s reign are invaluable. The collection of mummies of modern times The more than 260 adults and children explored in the crypt of the White Monks' Church of Vác were buried between 1731 and 1838. When the crypt proved to be too small, some of the deceased were placed in the so-called ossarium, a wooden box. The remains of about 40 persons were revealed in such boxes. Thanks to fortunate climatic conditions most of the human remains became mummified spontaneously, without any external intervention. Even the majority of coffins, attires, and burial textiles are preserved in good condition. The fact that available registers of death and coffin epigraphs throw light on the name, age and sex of the buried, and sometimes even the disease they suffered from, or causing their death, lends a unique character to the over 200 years