Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 98. (Budapest 2006)
Bernert, Zs., Évinger, S. ; Fóthi, E.: New symbolic trephination cases from Hungary
MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 1998 and 2003, 91 series (719 skulls) of the Hungarian Conquest Period were examined for symbolic trephination: 73 series from the collection of the Department of Anthropology of the Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM), 16 series from the collection of the University of Szeged (SZU), one from the Szent István Museum (SZIM) of Székesfehérvár and one from the Castle Museum of Dobó István in Eger. Morphological gender and age at the time of death of the examined skeletal remains were estimated using standard anthropological methods (MARTIN & SALLER 1957). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A total number of 65 skulls (10.03%) showed signs of symbolic trephination. From these, 47 cases were not published in the great comprehensive study of NEMESKÉRI et al. (1960). The list of these cases is given in Table 1. Distribution of symbolic trephination between males and females and among age groups can be seen in Table 2. Our conclusions concerning the symbolic trephination customs practised during the Hungarian Conquest Period are the following: 1. Symbolic trephination was usually executed by scratching the surface of the skull surface with a sharp tool, and not by drilling or linear cutting. Yet, in some cases the circle-shaped forms were so regular that they must have been made by a drill. The scraping always reached the tabula externa, sometimes the diploee, but never the tabula interna. 2. Cases can be grouped into two basic forms: circular and almond-shaped (Figs 1-2). The first shape is more frequent (more than 90% of cases). Circles can be divided into two further forms: almost perfect circles and "ill-shaped" circles. 3. The production of the trephinations and the disinfection of the area were carried out with great expertise and care, as inflammatory cases were not found in the sample. 4. Symbolic trephination may have been common in the Carpathian Basin during the 10th century. It occurred in 12.48% of adult, mature and senile people combined. 5. Distribution of this characteristic between males (36 cases, 13.43%) and females (29 cases, 11.46%) is balanced. 6. The percentage of trephined people increases with age groups. However, this does not necessarily mean that symbolic trephination was more often performed in older ages. A senile man may have also received symbolic trephination in his adult or mature ages. So, the increasing percentages probably refer to the fact that symbolic trephination was made in all age groups (except in childhood).