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

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

Table 3 (continued) Martin No. Classification Males Females Toj ^ether N % N % N % Hyperbrachystaphy 1 i n 97.3109.6 6 43 97.5-109.8 3 37 9 41 Total 14 8 22 38 Oligencephal 1228-1337 4 24 1097-1195 1 13 5 20 Euencephal 1338-1462 6 35 1196-1307 4 50 10 40 Aristencephal 1463-1572 6 35 1308-1406 2 25 8 32 Hyperaristencephal 1573-1770 1 6 1407-1582 1 13 2 8 Total 17 8 25 some more suitable territory. We arrived at this conclusion on the basis of the unusually low average age - mortality reached its peak in years 35-39, while it arrived in the age group 50-54 in a considerable number of Avar Period cemeteries and stimulated by the extremely high child bearing related mortality rate of young women (almost 18 % in the age group 20-24 years). The unbalanced sexual distribution of this population (66 men opposed to 55 women) also indicated the working of some selection or migration effect. The analysis of blood-group data indicated a less than ideal genetical status for this population with the ratio of bloodgroup fenotypes calculated by the data of LENGYEL ( 1989). This later phenomenon was also an indicator of selection and/or migration in biology. We found the average age estimated by us so extremely low, that we found it necessary to have a control examination carried out by a chemical method earlier not utilized in paleoanthropology (CSAPÓ et al. 2000, 2001, CSAPÓ-KlSS et al. 2001). This amino acid racemization based age evaluation method decidedly supported the age data produced by classic anthropological methods. We accepted this as a potent proof for the presence of biological reasons behind the low age at the time of death. General description of the men and women series Long and very long headed (dolichocran and hyperdolichocran) men made up almost two thirds of the population. The mean value was situated close to the upper limit of dolichocrany. Skulls were of medium height (orthocran) according to the percentage distribution of length-height index, with mean value around the middle region of ortocrany. High (akrocran) skulls were the most frequent on the basis of width-height index, but skulls of medium height (metriocran) were also present in a significant proportion, this mean value was situated on the border of metriocrany