Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
Timisoara-Freidorf Osteological Analysis of Human Remains 287 bandages were put in fronto-occipital direction on the head (the skull was elongated backward and upward), in the second phase, from 9-10 months of age, a circular bandage was applied. During nutrition the bandage was taken off (Renfrew-Bahn 1999). According to F. Altheim (1975) - thesis accepted by the Hungarian anthropologist R Lipták - this peculiar custom was spread in Europe by the Alans. On the other hand, based on the Gepidic cemeteries from Kiszombor B, in the Lower Tisa area, L. Bartucz (1939) stated that this custom came with the Huns, considering that the Gepids from Kiszombor formed a special conglomerate made up of elements of Nordic, Mediterranean, East-European, Turanoid, Mongolid and Palaeo-Asiatic races. Analyzing the discoveries from Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, I. Pap marked out that the custom of artificial cranial deformation probably is not an ethnic marker (Józsa-Pap 1994). Data regarding the stature of the community from Timisoara-Ereidor/could be obtained only from grave no. 3, where based on the measurements made on the skeleton its height was established to 152.62 cm. Because of the low number of archaeological finds and low anthropological representation the cemetery from Timisoara is one more case for the lack of useful information regarding the anthropological study of the Huns. Only the skeleton from grave no. 3 could be fully analysed. The defunct had Nordic and East-Baltic character, typical for the Germanic populations of the Gepids. Accordingly, the population from Timisoara-Freidorf had Europoid characters (Nordic and East-Baltic), without mongoloid traits on the skulls, which would connect the skeleton to the Huns. The archaeological discoveries from the Carpathian Basin indicated that Germanic populations - namely Gepids - had an important role in the leadership of the Huns (Bona EtAl. 1993), observation sustained by the discoveries from Vinkovci, Croatia (Rapan Papesa 2010). The cultural-ethnic classification of the finds is also sustained by the artificial skull distortion, a common custom among Alans, Huns and Gepids.
