Dr. T. Tóth szerk.: Studia historico-anthropologica (Anthropologia Hungarica 16. Budapest, 1979)

ANTHROP. HUNG. XVI. 1978-1979. The application of a new combined index in home anthropology By Sándor WENGER Anthropological Department, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest Abstract. Craniometric survey concerning the Giardina index and the application of a combined index in comparing certain male and female series deriving from the Avar period. Since the subsequently adapted method is fairly well spread in the Italian anthropological school, I deem it worthwhile to discuss the theoretical antecedents in more detail. According to Renato Biasutti (1953) the human skull, disregarding the facial part, is irregular, approximating an ovoid outline presenting various measurements either as regards its parts or its entirely. The measurements of the entire skull are in direct proportion with the measurements of the brain, the former encasing the latter, and differ from a series of factors. One of the most primary factors is the somatic development of the individual that may synthetically be characterized by the physique of the individual, in other words, the measurements strictly follow the changes of the physique with regard to age, sex and race. Of course, there is further interdependence with the thickness of the bone, that, besides numerous fossilic human forms, may readily be appreciated in certain living races too, as for example, in certain Australian and Melanesian groups. It is common knowledge that a large head coupled with a smaller or medium physique characterizes the so-called "primitive" forms, while upon a rapid bodily development, the head i.e. the measurements of the skull do not proportionally increase, thus, we encounter small-headed adults, e.g. savannah negroes or North European individuals. The deviations of the skull measurements may be determined either by direct methods, i. e. measuring the volume, or by the help of a formula based on the external measurements of the skull (we shall return to this topic later). As it is stated by Biasutti'the parts of the skull: irons, occiput, the base of the skull reveal morphological deviations which occasionally are significant and again are subject to age, sex and race peculiarities. Thus, we may speak about an infantile or senile, masculine or feminine, then Australoid, negroid, etc. external appearance. In identifying the morphological deviations of the "habit" the irregularities and the robusticity of the skeleton, the presence of various protuberances at the place of mascular attachment, the superciliary brow especially as far as thickness and prominence are concerned are of paramount importance. Such morphological features may appear in groups of people having no affinity of any kind, consequently, these features may lend rather illusoric similarities to these groups. This phenomenon is brought about rather by environmental and habitual factors influencing the endocrine system"

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. Coming back to the craniometric topic, according to Biasutti the morphological deviations of the entire skull maybriefly be called the "constitution of the skull", that can readily be interpreted by three linear measurements: the maximum length of the skull, the maximum width of the skull and the height of the skull. Since the skull is a body with three dimensions its morphological deviations can be expressed in the proportions existing between these three measurements taken simultaneously. However, this was not the case for quite some time, since many research workers were engaged in dealing with only length and width proportions. Thus, came into being the