Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 98. (Budapest 2006)

Bernert, Zs., Évinger, S. ; Fóthi, E.: New symbolic trephination cases from Hungary

Table 2. Distribution of symbolic trephination between sexes and among age groups Sexes/Age groups Skulls examined Skulls without symbolic trephination Skulls with symbolic trephination N N % N % Inf MI. 84 84 100.00 0 0.00 Juveniles 43 43 100.00 0 0.00 Adult males 115 103 89.57 12 10.43 Mature males 126 108 85.71 18 14.29 Senile males 22 17 77.27 5 22.73 Males with unknown age 5 4 80.00 1 20.00 Males together 268 232 86.57 36 13.43 Adult females 133 125 93.98 8 6.02 Mature females 92 77 83.70 15 16.30 Senile females 25 19 76.00 6 24.00 Females with unknown age 3 3 100.00 0 0.00 Females together 253 224 88.54 29 11.46 Adults, matures and seniles together 521 456 87.52 65 12.48 Altogether 648 583 89.97 65 10.03 Therefore, older people have a greater chance of exhibiting at least one symbolic trephination. 7. Among the children (84) and juveniles (43) no symbolic trephination was found, so this procedure may not have been performed on infant and juvenile people. 8. Symbolic trephination occurred on the frontal bone and on the parietal bones, usually (80% of the cases) in a circle of 5 cm in diameter around the bregma. The rest was found on the other parts of the parietal bones, near the sutures. Two or more trephinations were generally symmetrically placed on the top of the skull. 9. The size ranges mostly between 8-14 mm in diameter. * Acknowledgements - This study was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA No. 34717).