Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 13 (1968) (Pécs, 1971)

Régészet - Kralovánszky, Alán: The Paleosociographical Reconstruction of the Eleventh Century Population of Kérpuszta. Methodological Study

PALAEOSOCIOGRAPHICAL RECONSTRUCTION 91 The above data raise a question which is indispensable for a more thorough investigation. It is the palaeo-sociographic point of view which obliges us to bring up this problem. The analysis of the tenth century cemeteries enabled László

il to prove that the social differentiation among the Hungarians, conquering their new country, may be noticed also on the basis of archaeological material. Starting from palaeo-ethnographic data and statistical calculations, he has put forward the suggestion that the occurrence or the quantity of certain objects was a mark of social distinction. It is mainly in male graves that those distinctive objects are found. Since men are buried with a very scarce archaeological material in the eleventh century Kárpuszta cemetery, no essential investigation of this problem is possible as regards them. The situation is different as regards women. We shall analyze their graves in connection with the S-ended hair ring, since it is common knowledge that this kind of hair ring the most typical existing remnant of the material culture of the eleventh century population as we know it from the cemeteries. As mentioned before, only 64.9 per cent of the women wore this jewel, not each one. This fact may be explained in several manners, namely: 1. The use of the S-ended hair ring is an ethnical feature/'

2 as it is worn only by an ethnical group of a certain anthropological character, not used by another group of a different ethnical composition. The anthropological analysis made by Lipíáíc

43 proves that at Kerpuszta there were buried two major ethnical groups: the Mediterranean and the East Europoid. We have stated above that the S-ended hair ring was worn not only by the two major ethnical groups but also by the people belonging to the taxonomical units crA, d, a, n. It follows that the supposition has to be discarded. 2. The lack of the hair ring is due to financial reasons. This would mean that those who did not wear this ornament were so poor that 41 László, 1944. Recently similar observations are made by Dienes: Lienes 1966. 42 Kratovánszky, 1959 327—361. Szőke 1962 86—88. 43 Lipták, 1953 337. The taxonomical definition of Lipták has been revaluated by Nemeskéri on the basis of recent and more exact statements on sex and age (Acsádi—Nemeskéri—Harsányi, 1959 426.). Essentially this analysis did not mean a major change, rather a formal refinement. According to Nemeskéri the division is the following: Mediterranean (m) = 28 per cent, Cromagnoid В (crB) = 20.4 per cent, Cromagnoid A (crA) == 21,2 per cent, Dinarian (d) = 12.9 per cent, Alpic (a) = 7.6 per cent, Nordic (n) = 7.6 per cent, Lapponoid (1) — 2.3 per cent. In the present study we have followed the earlier definition of Lipták. they were unable to purchase it. The contrary is shown by the female grave no. 41, containing also a ring and a bead beside St. Stephen's coin; by grave no. 58 which had not only Aba Samuel's coin but also a ring ; or by graves no. 64 and no. 124 where the deceased has been supplied by Peter's or Solomon's coin, respectively, etc.

44 According to estimates, one denarius was worth 1/30 of the price of a horned animal in the eleventh century'

5 (though we know that the weight of an eleventh century obol is not more than an obol, we are justified in supposing that it was used as a denarius until St. Ladislas' reign, when the coin with the weight of a denarius appeared). Therefore the individuals who brought with them money into their graves, were economically sound enough in life that they (or their relatives) could purchase the S-ended hair rings. 3. This jewel was not given as grave-furniture in course of the burial. This is improbable because on one hand the S-ended hair ring did not represent such a value which would have withheld the family from burying it with the deceased; on the other hand, it was so personal a piece of attire that even the Church, aiming at the slow but energetic weeding up of heathen customs, could not object to its inhumation. We know that such personal belongings were given with the dead even in the later periods of the Middle Ages/'

6 4. The object may be connected with marriage its lack may mark that the inhumed person was a virgin or a widow. This may be attested by the early medieval Slavonic source which informs us that the bridegroom used to give a hair ring to the bride as a wedding present.'

7 However, we have to mention that at Kerpuszta there were 18 instances in which biologically still immature, girls, unable to celebrate a reproductive marriage, wore this jewel (e. g. infants: graves no. 172,182, 193, 266, 375, etc.). One may object that the ornament might have been an early engagement present in spite of all. Since 64.9 per cent of the adult females wore S-ended hair rings, the acceptance of the above thesis would mean that we regarded the remaining 39.1 per cent of females as girls or widows. We think that it is improbable, representing a too high percentage in a rural community. 5. They could not use it because they had no hair; they may have been slaves or their hair may have been cut off as a punishment. We know that in the eleventh century some 44 Szőke, 1953 221—279. 45 Hóman, 1916; Huszár, 1938 135. 46 E. g. Gerevich 1943 103—107; Fehér, 1955 218— 228 etc. 47 Niederle, 1913.