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

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

96 KRALOVÁNSZKY the burial rites. As the object is not connected with a [tire but with economic activity, its scarceness niay be explained by church influence. The few data illustrate that individuals of all age groups were supplied with knives in the course of the burial. Each person had but one piece and the majority wore it on the left side. Grave no. 378 was undisturbed, so we have to suppose that the knife has been found in situ. This may mean either that the proprietor was left-handed, or that the knife was placed on his right on account of the reversed world outlook. If we take the general custom of putting the knife on the left as a proof of its place in life, this is supported by the fact that men of the tenth century used to wear also the sword on their left. 10. Strike-a-light We find it on the boundary line of the two sections, in the graves of one man in each (they died in the age from 36 to 40 and 46 to 50 years, respectively). The strikingly small number of this object may be also connected with religious prohibition (Fig. 16). 16. The occurrence of strike-a-lights within the cemetery. Kérpuszta. 11. Brand tongs Brand tongs are found in section II of the cemetery, in the grave of a woman of 25 years. B. Szőke regarded it as an object of unknown destination, but we call it brand tongs on the basis of ethnografical parallels; as such, it is a very precious relic of the household implements in the period of the Arpádian dynasty/' (Fig. 17.) 12. Money 'Money was fond in a total of 13 cases. It was added to the grave-goods of women (6.8 per cent), children (2.4 per cent) and men (0.9 per cent) alike. This custom is found in almost all age groups (2 to 74 years) mainly near the cranium (5 cases), in the mouth (3 cases), on the chest (4 cases) and in one instance near the left metacarpus. As we have mentioned above, the custom of putting money into the grave in Hungary may be due to the changes effected by the conversion to Christianity. Its territorial extension inside the cemetery was also treated above (Fig. 3). 6. A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF SOCIETY The situation of the graves fixed on the map of the cemetery and the definition of the sex and the age of the deceased persons (and children) furnish a solid basis for the following statements: 1. The division of archaeological and anthropological phenomena seems to be even. 2. No groupings are distinguished which might lead us to the conclusion that children, women and men were inhumed separately. 3. There is no basis for the reconstruction of burials in nuclear or extended families either. 4. The presentation of two anatomical variations on a map: os incae and sutura metopica, bears out the conclusion that they are the features of the 2/3 part of the cemetery which is later in time.'

8 Since these anatomical variations are hereditary, the occurrences support the thesis of a biological connection, i. e. direct descendance. In section I only os incae is known, in section II sutura metopica as well. As each case is rather far from the others and there is no grouping, we may suggest that the dead were not put into graves defined beforehand but the cemetery was filled continuously. (Fig. 18.) 5. Taxonomical division gives rise to a similar suggestion. All taxonomical units appear in a normal division in each part of the cemetery. (Fig. 19.) 6. Since the dead were not buried into predestined places, they seem to be equal in the 17. The occurrence of brand tongs within the cemetery. Kérpuszta. Bátky, 1938 82. Lipták, 1953 356—370.