Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 95. (Budapest 2003)

Bernert, Zs.: Anthropological analysis of the Avar Period cemetery of Kereki-Homokbánya

The most marked masculinity was produced by glabella-arcus superciliaris (+1.15) and processus mastoideus (+1.15) from the characteristics observed on male skulls, while caput mandibulae (+0.37) and tuber frontale et parietale (+0.40) were turned out to be the least masculine. Caput femoris (+1.53) and sulcus praeauricularis (+1.23) proved to be most masculine from postcranial bones, and ischio-pubis indexr (-0.20) the least masculine one. The most marked feminine character was found with protuberantia occipitalis externa (-1.80) and angulus mandibulae (-1.11) on female skulls, and the same could be stated for foramen obruratum (-1.50) and incisura ischiadica major (-1.31) on females' postcranial material. Caput mandibulae (-0.33) and corpus mandibulae (-0.43) presented the smallest degree of feminine character on women's skulls, and sacrum (-0.20) on their postcranial skeletons. The largest differences, and therefore the most evident features when scoring sex, were presented by protuberantia occipitalis externa (2.23) and glabella-arcus superciliaris (2.12) on skulls. The most marked sexual differences were produced by caput femoris (2.68), sulcus praeauricularis (2.29), foramen obturatum (2.25), and incisura ischiadica major (2.17) on postcranial bones. (The data in brackets were the differences between men's and women's values). When considering the availability of features for examination glabella-arcus superciliaris and trigonum mentale proved to be the most useful in the determination of sex on skulls, while caput femoris, linea aspera and incisura ischiadica major did the same on skeletons (Table 2). Demo graphical analysis We have already treated the palaeodemography of this population in an earlier article (BERNÉRT 1996). In this present treatise we mentioned only the most significant results of palaeodemographical analysis. This population could be reconstructed as a community of 80-90 persons living in a small number of families according to the number of dead and the Table 1. Distribution of sex in the groups Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Combined Men 17 24 21 3 65 Women S 24 19 3 54 Undefinable sex 1 1 1 l 4 Children 2 13 10 0 25 Total 28 62 51 7 148