The aim of our paper is to demonstrate a case (KD429) with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) from the ... more The aim of our paper is to demonstrate a case (KD429) with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) from the 2nd-3rdcentury-CE Carpathian Basin. The skeleton of KD429 was subject to a detailed macromorphological evaluation, focusing on the detection of pathological lesions likely related to tuberculosis (TB). It was the presence of endocranial alterations, especially the TB-specific granular impressions, based on which the diagnosis of TBM was established in KD429. Besides KD429, only eight cases with TB have been published from the Sarmatianperiod (1st-5th centuries CE) Carpathian Basin. Reports of archaeological cases with TB, like KD429, can provide invaluable information about the spatio-temporal distribution of the disease in the past. Nonetheless, to get a more accurate picture about the burden that TB may have put on the Sarmatians, the systematic macromorphological (re-)evaluation of their osteoarchaeological series would be advantageous. Interestingly, the skeleton of KD429 was unearthed from not a grave-pit but a storage pit from the archaeological site of Kiskundorozsma-Daruhalom-dűlő II (Hungary). At the current state of research, the motive behind the exclusion of KD429 from the "normal" burial custom cannot be determined; therefore, it remains an open question whether their disease (TBM) played a role in it or not.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that is well-known in the palaeopathological record be... more Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that is well-known in the palaeopathological record because it can affect the skeleton and consequently leaves readily identifiable macroscopic alterations. Palaeopathological case studies provide invaluable information about the spatio-temporal distribution of TB in the past. This is true for those archaeological periods and geographical regions from when and where no or very few TB cases have been published until now-as in the Sarmatian period (1 st-5 th centuries CE) in the Barbaricum of the Carpathian Basin. The aim of our paper is to discuss five newly discovered TB cases (HK199, HK201, HK225, HK253, and HK309) from the Sarmatian-period archaeological site of Ho ´dmezőva ´sa ´rhely-Kenyere-e ´r, Bereczki-tanya (Csongra ´d-Csana ´d county, Hungary). Detailed macromorphological evaluation of the skeletons focused on the detection of bony changes likely associated with different forms of TB. In all five cases, the presence of endocranial alterations (especially TB-specific granular impressions) suggests that these individuals suffered from TB meningitis. Furthermore, the skeletal lesions observed in the spine and both hip joints of HK225 indicate that this juvenile also had multifocal osteoarticular TB. Thanks to the discovery of HK199, HK201, HK225, HK253, and HK309, the number of TB cases known from the Sarmatian-period Carpathian Basin doubled, implying that the disease was likely more frequent in the Barbaricum than previously thought. Without the application of granular impressions, the diagnosis of TB could not have been established in these five cases. Thus, the identification of TB in these individuals highlights the importance of
In the second third of the 5th century, more marked changes can be discovered in the archeologica... more In the second third of the 5th century, more marked changes can be discovered in the archeological material from the Eastern European region. This can be attributed mainly to the emergence of a unified cultural identity of the Hunnic Empire, which also appeared in the material culture. Therefore, the ethnopolitical groups that appear in the written sources of the period cannot be identified in this emerging material culture related to the new cultural identity of the material culture. To fit in, the various Germanic and Sarmatian groups presumably also began to adopt the customs of the imperial elite. In this new cultural image, the main features of the eastern-nomadic form of identity are mainly Oriental-type objects (polychrome style) and partial horse burials. The present study focuses on a specific segment of the material culture of the Carpathian Basin during the Hun Age, which is related to nomadic culture: the partial horse burials. The few partial horse burials found in the graves exhibit significant variation both in the composition of artifacts and in chronology during the 5th century. This unique burial practice is more closely associated with nomadic populations of various origins compared to certain types of objects from the East, which could be readily adopted by the elite of the Hun Age -not only Huns -through the unifying elite culture of the Hunnic Empire. However, it is important to emphasize that the burial practice under study may be a cultural characteristic rather than an ethnic one of the period.
Between the Sarmatians and the Gepids. The problems of identifying Hun/Nomadic relics through the... more Between the Sarmatians and the Gepids. The problems of identifying Hun/Nomadic relics through the example of partial horse burials
The case of the partial horse burials is another excellent illustration of the fact that in the fifth century the Hun Empire's leading stratum was probably made up of very different nomadic communities. This may have been a general nomadic custom spreading across the steppe with the arrival of the Huns, which was not standardised and thus did not develop into a uniform practice in the former Hun Empire. This process may also be partly similar to that of the formation of the representation of the warrior elite, where the first initial steps were also taken by the elite of the empire. At the same time, however, the nomadic "entity" is certainly capable of being detected, as far as we know at present. The use of ritual is not an expression of ethnic identity, but rather of cultural identity. Their low number may be partly related to the short presence of the centre of the Hun Empire in the Carpathian Basin (or close to it). At the same time, it is important to stress that the material of the period does not include a large number of graves with elite representation.
"From nothing I created a new, different world". Gyula László, the archaeological researcher of ... more "From nothing I created a new, different world". Gyula László, the archaeological researcher of the society of the Migration Period.
This paper presents Gyula László's research and concepts of social archaeology of the Migration Period, drawing attention to the new trends and theorys that have emerged in archaeological literature since then.
Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians were migration-period nomadic tribal confederations thatar... more Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians were migration-period nomadic tribal confederations thatarrived in three successive waves in the Carpathian Basin between the 5th and 9th centuries. Basedon the historical data, each of these groups are thought to have arrived from Asia, although their exact origin and relation to other ancient and modern populations have been debated. Recently,hundreds of ancient genomes were analyzed from Central Asia, Mongolia, and China, from whichwe aimed to identify putative source populations for the above-mentioned groups. In this study,we have sequenced 9 Hun, 143 Avar, and 113 Hungarian conquest period samples and identifiedthree core populations, representing immigrants from each period with no recent European ancestry.Our results reveal that this ‘‘immigrant core’’ of both Huns and Avars likely originated in present dayMongolia, and their origin can be traced back to Xiongnus (Asian Huns), as suggested by severalhistorians. On the other hand, the ‘‘immigrant core’’ of the conquering Hungarians derived from anearlier admixture of Mansis, early Sarmatians, and descendants of late Xiongnus. We have alsoshown that a common ‘‘proto-Ugric’’ gene pool appeared in the Bronze Age from the admixtureof Mezhovskaya and Nganasan people, supporting genetic and linguistic data. In addition, we de-tected shared Hun-related ancestry in numerous Avar and Hungarian conquest period genetic out-liers, indicating a genetic link between these successive nomadic groups. Aside from the immigrantcore groups, we identified that the majority of the individuals from each period were local residentsharboring ‘‘native European’’ ancestry.
According to the written historical sources, the Gepids were a Germanic tribe that settled in the... more According to the written historical sources, the Gepids were a Germanic tribe that settled in the Carpathian Basin during the Migration Period. They were allies of the Huns, and an independent Gepid Kingdom arose after the collapse of the Hun Empire. In this period, the Carpathian Basin was characterized by so-called row-grave cemeteries. Due to the scarcity of historical and archaeological data, we have a poor knowledge of the origin and composition of these barbarian populations, and this is still a subject of debate. To better understand the genetic legacy of migration period societies, we obtained 46 full mitogenome sequences from three Gepid cemeteries located in Transylvania, Romania. The studied samples represent the Classical Gepidic period and illustrate the genetic make-up of this group from the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD, which is characterized by cultural markers associated with the Gepid culture in Transylvania. The genetic structure of the Gepid people is expl...
The archaeological concepts on the location of the Gepids in the 4th–5th centuries AD greatly inf... more The archaeological concepts on the location of the Gepids in the 4th–5th centuries AD greatly influenced the ethnic interpretation of the hoards of Șimleu Silvaniei / Szilágysomlyó. Earlier research, after the works of István Bóna, placed the territory of the Gepids in the Upper Tisza Region in this period, including the northwestern part of present-day Romania due to the ethnic interpretation of the hoards. A highly diverse culture flourished in the Upper Tisza region in the 4th–5th centuries (Sarmatian, Przseworks, Chernyahov and Hun-period cultures), thus, the separation of particular ethnic groups is impossible, even relying on the most recent methodologies. By taking a closer look at the earlier preconceptions about the territories of various ethnic groups, the connection of the famous Szilágysomlyó hoards to the Gepids also seems to be questionable so far. Based on the value and quality of the objects (insignia), it is impossible, that such an aspiring aristocratic group as the Gepids could own them. This may be reinforced also by the fact that the Gepids did not operate along the borders of the Roman Empire before the Hun period.
Shield bosses and their development in the Carpathian Basin of the 5th century
(Abstract)
This s... more Shield bosses and their development in the Carpathian Basin of the 5th century (Abstract)
This study presents the 5th century shield bosses types known from the material of burials in the Carpathian Basin and their development. A wide range of objects spread throughout the area during the late Roman Imperial and the early migration periods (Type of Dobrodzień/Zieling T Varianten, Csongrad/Zieling L, Misery/Zieling H1, Vermand, Horgos/Libenau; Kiszombor). It is typical that the graves in which shields were placed are known mainly from the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin (we do not know any such burials from Transdanubia). Among the conical shield bosses, specimens ending in a spike also appear during the middle third of the 5th century, evoking earlier forms (ancient Germanic traditions). Unfortunately, previous research has often classified certain types into one type based only on similar characteristics (form of the cone). In the present writing, in order to avoid this, I tried to separate the pieces previously classificed only for the Horgos/Libenau type. In the case of the latest pieces (second half and end of the 5th century), the spike should be hammered (Grave Kiszombor-B 308). In the latest pieces, which appear in the earliest graves of the row-grave cemeteries, the spike was hammered. At the end of the 5th century, pieces of Merovingian culture known in the west appear, which spread very rapidly in the area and in the local material of row-grave cemeteries.
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Papers by Attila P Kiss
The case of the partial horse burials is another excellent illustration of the fact that in the fifth century the Hun Empire's leading stratum was probably made up of very different nomadic communities. This may have been a general nomadic custom spreading across the steppe with the arrival of the Huns, which was not standardised and thus did not develop into a uniform practice in the former Hun Empire. This process may also be partly similar to that of the formation of the representation of the warrior elite, where the first initial steps were also taken by the elite of the empire. At the same time, however, the nomadic "entity" is certainly capable of being detected, as far as we know at present. The use of ritual is not an expression of ethnic identity, but rather of cultural identity. Their low number may be partly related to the short presence of the centre of the Hun Empire in the Carpathian Basin (or close to it). At the same time, it is important to stress that the material of the period does not include a large number of graves with elite representation.
This paper presents Gyula László's research and concepts of social archaeology of the Migration Period, drawing attention to the new trends and theorys that have emerged in archaeological literature since then.
(Abstract)
This study presents the 5th century shield bosses types known from the material of burials in the Carpathian Basin and their development. A wide range of objects spread throughout the area during the late Roman Imperial and the early migration periods (Type of Dobrodzień/Zieling T Varianten, Csongrad/Zieling L, Misery/Zieling H1, Vermand, Horgos/Libenau; Kiszombor). It is typical that the graves in which shields were placed are known mainly from the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin (we do not know any such burials from Transdanubia). Among the conical shield bosses, specimens ending in a spike also appear during the middle third of the 5th century, evoking earlier forms (ancient Germanic traditions). Unfortunately, previous research has often classified certain types into one type based only on similar characteristics (form of the cone). In the present writing, in order to avoid this, I tried to separate the pieces previously classificed only for the Horgos/Libenau type. In the case of the latest pieces (second half and end of the 5th century), the spike should be hammered (Grave Kiszombor-B 308). In the latest pieces, which appear in the earliest graves of the row-grave cemeteries, the spike was hammered. At the end of the 5th century, pieces of Merovingian culture known in the west appear, which spread very rapidly in the area and in the local material of row-grave cemeteries.