A N N A L E S HISTORICO-NATURALES M U S E I N A T I O N A L I S HUNGAR1CI Volume 98 Budapest, 2006 pp. 177-183.

New symbolic trephination cases from Hungary

Zs. B E R N É R T , S. É V I N G E R & E. F Ó T H I

Department of Anthropology, Hungarian National History Museum H-J082 Budapest, Ludovika tér 2, Hungary

E-mail: berneri@ant.nhmus.hu, evinger@ant.nhmus.hu, fothi@ant.nhmus.hu

Abstract - Hungarian Conquest Period skulls from the Carpathian Basin were examined for sym­bolic trephinations. From 719 skulls (91 series) a total number of 65 skulls had at least one symbolic trephination. Distribution of this alteration between sexes and among age groups, and shape, size and position of lesions were analysed. With 2 figures and 2 tables.

Keywords - Physical anthropology, human skeletal remains, symbolic trephination, Hungarian Conquest Period.

INTRODUCTION

Trephination is one of the most characteristic attributes of the Conquering Hungarians. Two types of trephination could have been made on a living person: surgical trephination, which involved the removal of a piece of bone from the skull, and symbolic trephination, during which circles or elliptical shapes were scratched into the skull. Our present paper deals with the latter method.

Approximately 200 cases of symbolic trephination have been published so far: 160 from the Carpathian Basin and the others from the territories of the river Volga, Caucasus, Northern Pontic Region and Bulgaria ( N E M E S K É R I et al. 1960, B A R T U C Z 1966, B O E V 1968, J O R D A N O V et al. 1988, G R Y N A E U S 1996).

In the Carpathian Basin the custom of symbolic trephination is exclusively linked to the Conquering Hungarians, with the exception of a few cases originating in the late Avar age. However, the chronology of these late Avar findings are ques­tionable. The spread of symbolic trephination in the Carpathian Basin is simulta­neous with the diffusion of the Conquering Hungarians. The first cases occurred in the Eastern part of Hungary in the 10th century, when this territory was occupied by the Conquering Hungarians. The emergence of symbolic trephination in Transdanubia also coincides with the occupation of this area by the Hungarians. The practice of symbolic trephination in Hungary disappeared during the 12th cen­tury with the strengthening of Christianity ( N E M E S K É R I et al. 1960).

M A T E R I A L S A N D METHODS

Between 1998 and 2003, 91 series (719 skulls) of the Hungarian Conquest Period were exam­ined for symbolic trephination: 73 series from the collection of the Department of Anthropology of the Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM), 16 series from the collection of the University of Szeged (SZU), one from the Szent István Museum (SZIM) of Székesfehérvár and one from the Castle Museum of Dobó István in Eger.

Morphological gender and age at the time of death of the examined skeletal remains were esti­mated using standard anthropological methods (MARTIN & SALLER 1957).

RESULTS A N D DISCUSSION

A total number of 65 skulls (10.03%) showed signs of symbolic trephination. From these, 47 cases were not published in the great comprehensive study of NEMESKÉRI et al. (1960). The list of these cases is given in Table 1. Distribution of symbolic trephination between males and females and among age groups can be seen in Table 2.

Our conclusions concerning the symbolic trephination customs practised dur­ing the Hungarian Conquest Period are the following:

1. Symbolic trephination was usually executed by scratching the surface of the skull surface with a sharp tool, and not by drilling or linear cutting. Yet, in some cases the circle-shaped forms were so regular that they must have been made by a dri l l . The scraping always reached the tabula externa, sometimes the diploee, but never the tabula interna.

2. Cases can be grouped into two basic forms: circular and almond-shaped (Figs 1-2). The first shape is more frequent (more than 90% of cases). Circles can be divided into two further forms: almost perfect circles and "ill-shaped" circles.

3. The production of the trephinations and the disinfection of the area were carried out with great expertise and care, as inflammatory cases were not found in the sample.

4. Symbolic trephination may have been common in the Carpathian Basin during the 10th century. I t occurred in 12.48% of adult, mature and senile people combined.

5. Distribution of this characteristic between males (36 cases, 13.43%) and fe­males (29 cases, 11.46%) is balanced.

6. The percentage of trephined people increases with age groups. However, this does not necessarily mean that symbolic trephination was more often per­formed in older ages. A senile man may have also received symbolic trephination in his adult or mature ages. So, the increasing percentages probably refer to the fact that symbolic trephination was made in all age groups (except in childhood).

Cemetery Deposi­tion

Inv. o. Grave No.

Sex Age N Size [mm] Shape

Rákóczifalva-Kastélydomb SZU 3571 F sen 2 14x9, 13x10

Szentes-Borbástanya SZU 8237 10 F mat 1 13x20 almond

Karos-Eperjesszög I HNHM 3285 F mat 1 15x14

Karos-Eperjesszög I HNHM 3287 1 M ad 2 13x12, 13x12 circle

Karos-Eperjesszög I HNHM 3288 2 M mat 3 14x28, 14x30 circle

Kenézlő HNHM 1042 24 M ? 1 60 mm long scratching

Nagyhalász-Kiszombor HNHM 10928 M mat 1 13x13 circle

Nagyhalász-Kiszombor HNHM 10929 F sen 1 13x65 ill-shaped circle

Nagyhalász-Kiszombor HNHM 10931 ? mat 1 15x60 ill-shaped circle

Bashalom-Fenyvesdomb HNHM 10904 9 F ad 3 13x13, 15x35, 15x35 circle, 2 ill-shaped circles

Tiszaeszlár SZU 4735 4 F ad 1 13x14 circle

Tiszaeszlár SZU 4739 8 F sen 1 14x14 circle

Tiszaeszlár SZU 7999 F mat 1 15x15 circle

Nagytarcsa HNHM 68.18.5. 5 F mat 1 10x10 circle

Nagytarcsa HNHM 68.18.11. 11 M mat 1 12x14 ill-shaped circle

Nagytarcsa HNHM 68.18.13. 13 F ad 1 9x9 circle

S árbog árd-Tri n gertany a SZIM 70.49.27. 27 F sen 2 12x14, 8x9 circle

Sárbogárd-Tringertanya SZIM 70.49.75. 75 M mat 1 10x10 circle

Tengelic HNHM 11486 2 F sen 2 8x8, 12x12 circle

Tengelic HNHM 11511 25 F ad 2 11x11, 11x11 circle

Cemetery Deposi­tion

Inv. o. Grave No.

Sex Age N Size [mm] Shape

Békés-Povádzug SZU 2293 45 M mat 2 13x13, 12x10 circle

Szabadkígyós Pál-liget tábla SZU 6565 6 F mat 1 10x12 ill-shaped circle

Szabadkígyós Pál-liget tábla SZU 6571 13 M mat 1 11x10 circle

Szarvas-Oszőlő SZU 2826 F mat 3 l l x l 1, 15x14, 14x15 circle

Szarvas-Ószőlő SZU 2836 M ad 3 13x15, 15x14, 14x14

Tiszanána HNHM 12152 22 M sen 1 13x13 circle

Hencida HNHM 4212 M sen 3 14x15, 15x15, 14x14 circle

Szob HNHM 3399 34 F mat 1 18x23 ill-shaped circle

Mohács HNHM 5755 1 M mat 1 20x10 ill-shaped circle

Berkesz HNHM 10935 M mat 1 44x57 almond

Dormánd-Hanyi HNHM 11328 1 F mat 2 13x15, 17x19 ill-shaped circle

Dormánd-Hanyi HNHM 11329 2 F mat 2 10x10, 12x12 circle

Dormánd-Hanyi HNHM 11343 16 ? ad 1 12x17 ill-shaped circle

" Szegvár-Oromdűlő SZU 12421 442 F mat 1 15x17 ill-shaped circle

Somogyjád-Gépállomás HNHM 2003,10,7, 9 M mat 1 12x13 circle

Vörs-Majon dűlő HNHM - 7 M mat 1 12x12 circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 102 M mat 1 15x12 ill-shaped circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 108 M ad 1 13x12 circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 254 M mat 1 14x13 circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 328 M mat 1 11x9 ill-shaped circle

Cemetery Deposi­tion

Inv. No.

Grave No.

Sex Age N Size [mm] Shape

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 350 M ad 1 9x7 ill-shaped circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 388 M sen 1 10x10 circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 47 F mat 2 17x15. 14x16 ill-shaped circles

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 315 F ad 1 16x 13 ill-shaped circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 416 F ad 1 10x10 circle

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - 429 F sen 1 11x10 c i rc 1 c

Vörs-Majori dűlő HNHM - Spl. M mat 1 16x10 ill-shaped circle

Fig. 1. Four symbolic trephinations on the parietal bones along the coronal suture. Each one is 15 mm in diameter (Hencida Fig. 2. Symbolic trephination at bregma point (Dormánd-Ha-

cemetery) nyi-puszta cemetery)

Table 2. Distribution of symbolic trephination between sexes and among age groups

Sexes/Age groups Skulls examined

Skulls without sym­bolic trephination

Skulls with symbolic trephination

N N % N %

Inf M I . 84 84 100.00 0 0.00

Juveniles 43 43 100.00 0 0.00

Adult males 115 103 89.57 12 10.43

Mature males 126 108 85.71 18 14.29

Senile males 22 17 77.27 5 22.73

Males with unknown age 5 4 80.00 1 20.00

Males together 268 232 86.57 36 13.43

Adult females 133 125 93.98 8 6.02

Mature females 92 77 83.70 15 16.30

Senile females 25 19 76.00 6 24.00

Females with unknown age 3 3 100.00 0 0.00

Females together 253 224 88.54 29 11.46

Adults, matures and seniles together 521 456 87.52 65 12.48

Altogether 648 583 89.97 65 10.03

Therefore, older people have a greater chance of exhibiting at least one symbolic trephination.

7. Among the children (84) and juveniles (43) no symbolic trephination was found, so this procedure may not have been performed on infant and juvenile peo­ple.

8. Symbolic trephination occurred on the frontal bone and on the parietal bones, usually (80% of the cases) in a circle of 5 cm in diameter around the bregma. The rest was found on the other parts of the parietal bones, near the sutures. Two or more trephinations were generally symmetrically placed on the top of the skull.

9. The size ranges mostly between 8-14 mm in diameter.

*

Acknowledgements - This study was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA No. 34717).

R E F E R E N C E S

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B O E V , P. 1968: Szimbolicsni trepanacii ot Bulgarija. [Symbolic trephinations in Bulgaria.] - Izvestia na Inslituta po Morfológia (Bulletin de l'Institut de Morphologie) 9-10: 289-298.

G R Y N A E U S , T. 1966: Isa Por... A honfoglalás és Árpád-kori magyarság betegségei és gyógyításuk. [Diseases and their healing methods among the Conquering and Arpád-Age Hungarians.] -Fekete Sas Kiadó, Budapest, 214 pp.

JORDANOV, J., DlMITROVA, BR. & NlKOLOV, S. 1988: Symbolic Trepanations of Skulls from the Middle Ages (IXth-Xth Century) in Bulgaria. - Acta Neurochirurgica 92: 15-18.

MARTIN, R . & S A L L E R , K. 1957: Lehrbuch der Antropologie I. - Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, pp. 426-596.

N E M E S K É R I , J., ERY, K. & K R A L O V Á N S Z K Y , A. 1960: A magyarországi jelképes trepanáció. (Sym­bolically Trephined Skulls in Hungary.) - Anthropológiai Közemények 4: 3-32.

Selected publications of the Hungarian Natural History Museum

are available F E H É R , Z. & G U B Á N Y L A . (2001): A m a g y a r o r s z á g i p u h a t e s t ű e k e l ter jedése -A z M T M p u h a t e s t ű - g y ű j t e m é n y é n e k k a t a l ó g u s a . (The d i s t r ibu t ion of H u n ­garian molluscs - The catalogue of the Mollusca Collect ion of the Hungar ian Natura l H i s to ry Museum.) [CD-ROM.] - ISBN 963 7093 70 2

H A B L Y , L. (ed.) (1997): Early Pliocene volcanic environment , flora and fauna from Transdanubia, West Hungary . 192 pp . - ISBN 963 7093 41 9

H A B L Y , L . , E R D E I , B. & K V A C E K , Z. (2001): 19th century's palaeobotanical types and originals of the Hungar i an Na tu ra l His tory Museum. 235 pp. -ISBN 963 7093 699

K E C S K E M É T I , T. & P A P P , G . (1994): F ö l d ü n k hazai k i n c s e s h á z a i . T a n u l m á n y o k a m a g y a r o r s z á g i f ö l d t u d o m á n y i gyű j temények tör ténetéből . [Historical studies on the collections of H u n g a r i an mineralogy, geology and paleontology.] 432 pp. - ISBN 963 7093 24 9

M A H U N K A , S. (ed.) (1999): The fauna of the Aggtelek Nat iona l Park. Vo l . I—II. 775 pp . - ISBN 963 05 2518 6 ö

M A H U N K A , S. (ed.) (2002): The fauna of the F e r t ő - H a n s á g Nat iona l Park. V o l . I—II. 829 pp . - ISBN 963 7093 76 l ö

P A P P , G . (2002): A K á r p á t - ö v e z e t b e n felfedezett á s v á n y o k , k ő z e t e k és fosszilis g y a n t á k t ö r t éne t e . [His to ry of minerals, rocks and fossil resins discovered i n the Carpathian region.] 204 pp . - ISBN 963 7093 75 3

P A P P , L. (ed.) (2001): Checklist of the Diptera of Hungary . 550 pp . - ISBN 963 7093 710

SHY, O. (2001): Amphis tomes of the W o r l d . A check-list of the amphistomes of vertebrates. 368 pp. - ISBN 963 641 865 9

S Z A B Ó K Y , CS., K U N , A . & B U S C H M A N N , F. (2002): Checklist of the fauna of Hungary . V o l u m e 2. Microlepidoptera . 184 pp . - ISBN 963 7093 80X

V Ö R Ö S , A . (1997): M a g y a r o r s z á g jura b r a c h i o p o d á i . Fauna fe j lődés és paleo-b iogeográ f i a a Tethys n y u g a t i r észén . (lurassic brachiopods of Hungary . Fau­ná i changes and paleobiogeography in the western Tethys.) 110 pp . - ISBN 963 7093 42 7

V Ö R Ö S , A . (1998): A Balaton-fe lvidék t r iász a m m o n o i d e á i és biosztrat igráfiája. (Triassic ammonoides and biostrat igraphy of the Balaton Highland. ) 104 pp . -ISBN 963 7093 60 5

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