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

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

90 KRALOVÁNSZKY strike-a-light, or the buckle, the brand tongs and the knife, since they occur either in the early or the late phase, respectively, the linking of assemblages is in unison with the existence of these objects. 3. The data in themselves are not of an order which might enable us to deal with further problems (sex, age, pathology, taxonomy) effectively. (Table 23.) f) Single objects 1. Simple hair ring It occurred in 8 cases, with children i(4), women (3) and men equally (1). The larger proportion is found in section I (4.6 per cent: 2 children, 1 female, 1 male); the smaller one in section II (1.3 per cent: 2 children, 2 females). The material is bronze and silver. The ascendancy of silver is observed here too: section I = 25 per cent, II = 50 per cent. The simple hair ring was found under the occipital bone in a single case. In this grave, no. 84, a man was inhumed. The simple hair ring seems to have been used as a plait clamp in this case. In two cases (1 child, 1 woman) it occurred together with another simple hair ring, or an S-ended hair ring, respectively. In these instances it may have been used as an ornament of the hair clamp. This is the more probable as the child was under 1 year yet, and no plait can be woven from the hair of a child of this age. The territorial arrangement of the cemetery bears out the conclusion that the object occurred in a belt near the northern bisector of the cemetery (Fig. 6). Thus its use may be dated to the middle of the eleventh century, though in one instance (grave no. 383) it was found in the company of a coin of St. Ladislas. 6. The occurrence of hair-rings within the cemetery. Kérpuszta. 2. S-ended hair ring The S-ended hair ring occurs all over the cemetery. There are some major patches lacking it in the south-western part of section I, in the centre and the southern part of section II. This may be due partly to the fact that these spots served for the burial of men and children in the first place (Fig. 7). 7. The occurence of S-ended hair-rings within the cemetery. Kérpuszta. We have stated earlier that the S-ended hair ring was used only by women and children (evidently girls). 64.9 per cent of the women. 11,4 per cent of the children wore this jewel. Since the sex ratio of Kérpuszta makes 53.2 per cent — 46.8 per cent in favour of the men (the sex ratio is generally 1:1, so the Kérpuszta proportion is biologically right; in view of the longer life expectancy of women, we are bound to find less female dead in the cemetery), a similar ratio may be suggested in the case of children. Therefore we may expect 78 girls among the 153 children. The S-ended hair ring was buried with 24.3 per cent of the girls. Combining these data with the age groups, we observe that the use of the S-ended hair ring increases from the age group 0 to 5 years to that between 6 and 14 years from 21.6 per cent to 27.7, then the percentage in the female age group between 15 and 20 years rises from 65.0 to 71.4 per cent, then to 80.0 per cent gradually up to the age of 40 years ;af

ter this peak it falls gradually to 62.3 per cent, then a slow rise to 66.6 per cent follows, finally a fall to 50.0 per cent above 70 years. In all cases more than 50 per cent of the women used to wear this jewel (Fig. 8). 8. The percentual occurrence of S-ended hair-rings according to age groups. Kérpuszta.