Horváth Attila – H. Tóth Elvira szerk.: Cumania 1. Archeologia (Bács-Kiskun Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei, Kecskemét, 1972)

S. Bökönyi: Őstulok (Bos primigenius Boj) leletek az Őrjeg tőzeglápjaiban

tarsals). As the same time the withers height of the Orjeg aurochses was between 1394.9 and 1641.0 mm with an average of 1507.3 and 1539.7 mm respectively. This is much bigger than the average withers height of the neolithic domestic cattle of Hungary (around 1270 mm; Bökönyi, 1971) and those of the domestic cattle of the site of Szabadszállás (1281.5). Nevertheless, it is far below our expectations. Boessneck (1957) supposed the withers height of the aurochs bulles to range between 1680—1770 and that of the cows to range between 1550—1640 mm. In an early work the author (1969) wrote of withers height of bulls as reached 1800 mm; but later (1971) this figure was rewised to 1550 as an average withers height for aurocheses. Now even this lower figure seems to be questionable. The next question is how much the aurochs finds of the Őrjeg peat-bogs can contribute to the knowledge of size variation of Hungarian aurochses and to the distinction between wild and domestic cattle remains ? The Őrjeg aurochs finds represent animals which are undoubtedly from the upper half of the variation range ot the Hungarian aurochses. Comparing their measurements to those which were published earlier (Bökönyi, 1962) one can see that in 17 out of 34 cases their measurements surpassed the upper limit of variation of the 1962 ones. In 7 further cases the upper limit of Őrjeg variation corresponds with that of 1962 sample and only in 10 cases are they surpassed by the latter. In this way the upper limit of variation range of Hungarian aurochses are raised in the following cases : from to horn-core : greatest diameter of basis 141 145 smallest diameter of basis 108 127 circumference of basis 380 445 scapula : smallest breadth of Collum 82 86 diameter of articular surface 75 75.5 humerus : distal breadth 118 121 radius: smallest breadth 65 67 distal breadth 108 109 252 259 63 65 395 485 55 60 279 300 42 42.5 77 80 68 68.5 44 44.5 metacarpal : greatest length proximal diameter femur : length to trochanter major calcaneus : greatest breadth metatarsal : greatest length smallest breadth distal breadth proximal diameter distal diameter At the same time the Őrjeg aurochs bone sample helps determine the variation of other aurochs bone measurements and to correct the separating line between the variations of wild and domestic cattle bone measurements. First of all since there haven't been unerthed whole aurochs scapulae, humeri, radii and tibiae before, the length variation of these bones have not been known. The Órjeg aurochs sample contains 2 whole scapulae, 4 humeri, 14 radii and 3 tibiae, and although this is not a large sample, their measurements certainly provide some useful data in this respect. The greatest length of the scapulae is 483 and ca. 480 m, that of the four humeri is between 383 and 408, in average 396.5 mm. The same measurement of subfossil domestic cattle is between 235 and 320. At the same time the greatest length of the 14 aurochs radii of the Orjeg peat-bogs varies between 333 and 390 in average 364.4 mm and that of Hungarian domestic cattle between 239 and 325 mm. Finally the greatest length of the three tibiae is 433, 446 and 450 in average 443.0 mm and the same measurements of subfossil domestic cattle in Hungary is between 292 and 390. The figures above show very clear distinctions between wild and domestic cattle long bones on the basis of their length. Nevertheless, it is not that simple. As the other measurements and indexes (see below) of the long bones show such clear distinctions don't exist; because of the local domestication and occasional interbreeding between wild and domestic cattle, aurochs and domestic cattle populations were always connected in Hungary in prehistoric times. Also the metapodials prove this and one can be sure that with a larger sample the variations of the two forms would certainly overlap. Beside the whole long bones, several mandibles, 24