Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 20. 1980 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1983)

Tanulmányok – Abhandlungen - Éry Kinga, K.: Comparative statistical studies on the physical anthropology of the Carpathian basin population between the 6–12th centuries A. D. p. 89–141.

while the north-northwestern territories were ruled by the Moravian sovereign. Thus, it is particularly sad that the population of this extremely complex period is represented by only one series in this study. This limited evidence of course, cannot be used to characterize a whole period. It may also be misleading to generalize about its characteristics even if only over a limited area. This set of data therefore at most provides information on a particular community. In spite of these limitations the Nitra-Lupka series deserves attention because of its implicit historical information. It may be described as follows: Nitra-Lupka (No. 98, subcluster 1/b, Figure 4J). This population is entirely Europoid. Analogy: Zala vár from the Árpád Period (No. 120). Fig. 41: Dendrogram showing the analogy of Nitra-Lupka History: the Nitra-Lupka population belongs to subcluster 1/b and this is why it may have formed in the East European parkland area or in the neighboring decidious forest steppe belt. This seems to be particularly strange, because the location of this population should rather be the habitation area of a "western Slavic" group. The distances calculated between the Nitra

—Lupka material and the three theoretically "western Slavic" series however, all demonstrate the considerable differences between the Nitra-Lupka population and the three other samples (Figure 42). When "eastern" and "western Slavic" craniological data are analyzed together one may again observe that the Nitra-Lupka population has a much greater association with the "eastern Slavic" population than with the one labeled "western Slavic" (Figure 43). On the other hand, Figure 43 also demonstrates the need for caution and that the "eastern Slavic" "Drevlyans" are metrically very close to the "western Slavic" samples which is an additional proof that the identification of ethnic groups cannot be carried out on the basis of skeletal remains alone. During the evaluation of the Nitra

—Lupka population the results of earlier research could not be overlooked. These all indicate that the inhabitants of what is today Czechoslovakia were composed of various populations in the Early Slavic Period. This heterogeneity was the result of constant immigration out of a number of territories (Stloukal 1980). Thus, it is obvious that one should not speak of homogeneous "Moravian Slavic" or "western Slavic" anthropological character. This argument is supported by the example of the Mikulcice population with its Northern Pontic analogies from the Late Scythian Period (Figure 44). Independently from the origin of the population represented in the Nitra-Lupka sample however, its habitation area undoubtedly was located within the range of Moravian-Slavic control. As far as the connection between this group and the 11—12th century A. D. Zala vár population is concerned, it becomes especially significant in the light of written sources. According to historical records, Pribina, the Prince of Nitra was forced to abandon his land. The fugitive ettled down in the territory of modern Zalavár in 846 Fig. 42: Dendrogram showing the "western Slavic" series Fig. 43: Dendrogram showing the "western and eastern Slavic'' series Fig. 44: Dendrogram showing the analogies of Mikulcice A. D. as the vasal of the Frankish Empire. The discovery of similarity between the Nitra-Lupka and Zalavár populations is a good example of how information gleaned from physical anthropology and historical research may complement each other. VI. MATERIAL FROM THE PERIOD OF THE HUNGARIAN CONQUEST It is well known that the conquering Hungarians arrived in the Carpathian Basin in 895 A. D. The occupation of the territory was accomplished by 900 A. D. It is also a historical fact that the conquerors were organized into seven Hungarian ("Magyar") and three "Kabar" tribes accompanied by fragments of other ethnic groups of eastern origin. It is further known that although Hungarian is a Finnougric language, Hungarian culture assimilated much from the cultures of other ethnic groups. The influence of Turkic connections above all can be well demonstrated. These facts all indicate, that even if the majority of conquerors arriving in the Carpathian Basin in 895 A. D. were "Hungarian" in a political and quantitative sense, they also formed part of a colorful and heterogeneous invading population. Burials belonging to the first three generations of these conquerors (dating approximately to the time between 900 A. D. to 980 A. D. ) are usually easy to recognize. The grave goods as well as the material evidence of the burial rite are both characterized by eastern elements. Thus, artifactual assemblages are of use in identifying and sorting out the bone material for physical anthropological studies. Unfortunately, the but slow increase in the number of skeletal remains discovered from this period has long been a problem for research. It was only around the end of the 1970's that the number of samples reached a critical minimum. Thus, in addition to the relatively well known populations 105