Avars in the Carpathian Basin a craniometric point of view.

Grave III/11 of Karos-Eperjesszög is an exceptionally lavish assemblage of the 10th-century AD archaeological record of the Carpathian Basin; it has been interpreted by many as a leader’s burial. Therefore, specifying its dating is essential for the research of the era. The grave is of key importance not only for the settlement history of the Upper Tisza Region in the first half of the 10th century AD but also, on a broader prospect, for outlining the framework and particulars of the Hungarian Conquest. With regard to this historical event, one must highlight the scarcity and incompleteness of relevant data in available written sources and the fact that about a dozen radiocarbon results became available in the past years which point to related activity before the conventional AD 895 date. The mainly lonely weapon burials of adult men interred between AD 860 and 900 may be connected with written sources that mention early Hungarian troops regularly appearing in the Carpathian Basin from as early as AD 862.This paper presents all nine radiocarbon dates from the grave and provides Bayesian models based on them, the possible chronological connections of the feature with Grave II/52, a burial dated by coins, and a recent hypothesis that men in the two graves were brothers, which was formulated based on archaeogenetical results.The paper concludes the grave clusters with early Hungarian burials from the late 9th century AD — but is dated before AD 895 — of the Upper Tisza Region.In a broader sense, the examined graves have opened a new perspective for the research of the era by making us re-evaluate the accessibility and interpretability of the pre-Conquest Period of Hungarian prehistory — for example, by highlighting the relevance and necessity of further (e.g., strontium isotope) analyses of the man from Grave III/11, who had undoubtedly been born in Etelköz in the east (cf. Subotcy horizon). Creating such a framework was our goal in 2023 upon embarking on a project to compile a Bayesian model of all available radiocarbon dates from the Hungarian Conquest Period, with a core comprising only radiocarbon data of graves dated by coins. In the meantime, new developments in the archaeological research in Moldavia and Ukraine, together with recent results of archaeogenetical investigations in Hungary, have resulted in a reliable separation of the archaeological record representing in Eastern Europe the immediate, 9th-century predecessors of the Hungarians of the Conquest Period. The Subotcy horizon matches surprisingly well the important dates indicated by written sources (e.g., AD 836, 862, and 895); therefore, these were also reckoned with in our model.

New home, new diet? Reconstruction of diet at the 10th century CE Hungarian Conquest period site of Kenézlő-Fazekaszug from stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses

Archaeological and historical sources attest that tribes of semi-nomadic populations conquered the Carpathian Basin with powerful armies of mounted archers at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries, which led to the foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary a hundred years later. Cemeteries from that period often provide cases of deposits of archery and horse riding equipment, as well as horse bones associated with the individuals in the graves. The close association between these items and the skeletons, together with the well-known historical context, allows postulating that the concerned individuals practiced horse riding during their life.
 The doctoral research had two main objectives. The first one was to contribute to the research on activity reconstructions in past populations with the identification of skeletal changes that could more reliably be associated with the practice of horse riding, in particular. The second objective was to bring an ethnoarchaeological contribution by possibly improving our understanding of the societies from the Hungarian Conquest period and their funerary practices.
 We selected a sample of 67 individuals from the 10th-century Hungarian cemetery of Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld, which was divided into two groups of individuals, according to the presence or absence of riding deposit in their graves. We also selected a modern (19–20th century) comparison group of 47 presumed non-rider individuals from the documented collection of Lisbon. We analysed different types of skeletal changes commonly used as indicators of activity and behaviour in past populations. Various direct measurements of the lower limb bones were also used to calculate indices of shape and robusticity.
 Statistical analyses mostly revealed significant differences between the Hungarian groups and the comparison group from Lisbon. They concerned some skeletal changes that can be linked to the riding practice and seem to be promising indicators for this activity. Comparisons between groups also revealed that the Hungarian individuals without riding deposit in their grave were likely riders as well. Both objectives of this research have thus been achieved.
 We took into consideration most of the pitfalls inherent to research on activity-related skeletal changes, leading to several limitations, such as relatively restricted sample sizes in the archaeological groups, which should be improved in the future. In addition, the multifactorial aetiology of the skeletal changes represented one of the main difficulties for their interpretation in terms of activity. In that regard, we performed an exploratory analysis of the microarchitecture of a muscle insertion site, of which promising results will need to be confirmed with further research with the aim of improving the reconstruction of activities in past populations.

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are at high risk of severe COVID-19. We measured 436 circulating proteins in serial blood samples from hospitalised and non-hospitalised ESKD patients with COVID-19 (n = 256 samples from 55 patients). Comparison to 51 non-infected patients revealed 221 differentially expressed proteins, with consistent results in a separate subcohort of 46 COVID-19 patients. Two hundred and three proteins were associated with clinical severity, including IL6, markers of monocyte recruitment (e.g. CCL2, CCL7), neutrophil activation (e.g. proteinase-3), and epithelial injury (e.g. KRT19). Machine-learning identified predictors of severity including IL18BP, CTSD, GDF15, and KRT19. Survival analysis with joint models revealed 69 predictors of death. Longitudinal modelling with linear mixed models uncovered 32 proteins displaying different temporal profiles in severe versus non-severe disease, including integrins and adhesion molecules. These data implicate epithelial damage, innate immune activation, and leucocyte–endothelial interactions in the pathology of severe COVID-19 and provide a resource for identifying drug targets.

Decision letter: Longitudinal proteomic profiling of dialysis patients with COVID-19 reveals markers of severity and predictors of death

The aim of this study is to individualize potential differences between two cranial regions used to differentiate human populations. We compared the neurocranium and the facial skeleton using skulls from the Great Hungarian Plain. The skulls date to the 1st–11th centuries, a long space of time that encompasses seven archaeological periods. We analyzed six neurocranial and seven facial measurements. The reduction of the number of variables was carried out using principal components analysis. Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to the principal components of each archaeological period, and then the models were compared using multiple pairwise tests. The neurocranium showed significant differences in seven cases between nonsubsequent periods and in one case, between two subsequent populations. For the facial skeleton, no significant results were found. Our results, which are also compared to previous craniofacial heritability estimates, suggest that the neurocranium is a more conservative region and that population differences can be pointed out better in the neurocranium than in the facial skeleton.

The aim of this study is to individualize potential differences between two cranial regions used to differentiate human populations. We compared the neurocranium and the facial skeleton using skulls from the Great Hungarian Plain. The skulls date to the 1st-11th centuries, a long space of time that encompasses seven archaeological periods. We analyzed six neurocranial and seven facial measurements. The reduction of the number of variables was carried out using principal components analysis. Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to the principal components of each archaeological period, and then the models were compared using multiple pairwise tests. The neurocranium showed significant differences in seven cases between nonsubsequent periods and in one case, between two subsequent populations. For the facial skeleton, no significant results were found. Our results, which are also compared to previous craniofacial heritability estimates, suggest that the neurocranium is a more conservative region and that population differences can be pointed out better in the neurocranium than in the facial skeleton.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been established as a major tool to identify genetic variants associated with complex traits, such as common diseases. However, GWAS may suffer from false positives and false negatives due to confounding population structures, including known or unknown relatedness. Another important issue is unmeasured environmental risk factors. Among many methods for adjusting for population structures, two approaches stand out: one is principal component regression (PCR) based on principal component analysis, which is perhaps the most popular due to its early appearance, simplicity, and general effectiveness; the other is based on a linear mixed model (LMM) that has emerged recently as perhaps the most flexible and effective, especially for samples with complex structures as in model organisms. As shown previously, the PCR approach can be regarded as an approximation to an LMM; such an approximation depends on the number of the top principal components (PCs) used, the choice of which is often difficult in practice. Hence, in the presence of population structure, the LMM appears to outperform the PCR method. However, due to the different treatments of fixed vs. random effects in the two approaches, we show an advantage of PCR over LMM: in the presence of an unknown but spatially confined environmental confounder (e.g., environmental pollution or lifestyle), the PCs may be able to implicitly and effectively adjust for the confounder whereas the LMM cannot. Accordingly, to adjust for both population structures and nongenetic confounders, we propose a hybrid method combining the use and, thus, strengths of PCR and LMM. We use real genotype data and simulated phenotypes to confirm the above points, and establish the superior performance of the hybrid method across all scenarios.

The present thesis proposes a comparison of 16 British medieval samples by means of craniometric analysis. The purpose of this study is to determine whether craniometric variation among British medieval groups exists and what are the causes of these differences. Following the reconstruction of 267 skulls from Gloucester, Poulton and Linenhall, 45 measurements for each cranium were recorded. Craniometric data from 946 individuals were analysed with multivariate statistical analyses. A selection of 18 variables was used for comparison among samples. A further comparison with a selection from Howells’ main human groups was carried out. Discriminant function analysis, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were carried out to detect differences among British medieval samples and British and Howells’ data set. The results support previous work published by other authors indicating a difference in craniometric measurement among British samples. Further discrimination is proved among samples from different geographic areas. This analysis suggests that the differences in craniometrics among British medieval samples are determined by the migration of foreign people from other European areas. A further difference is demonstrated between British and Howells’ samples, with a clustering based on geographical affinity. The European groups (including the British) resemble each other, while the others cluster based on their geographical distribution. The results prove that cranial measurements follow climate adaptation trends and DNA patterns verified by other researchers’ results.

Female burials equipped with weapons, a topic of interest among scholars and the general public, remain rare occurrences in archaeological records. The interpretation of such cases requires an interdisciplinary approach and a comprehensive evaluation of the available evidence, particularly regarding the sex and potential lifestyle of the deceased. Consequently, data on specific populations, regions, and time periods remain scarce. For instance, no such case has been reported before concerning the 10th century CE of the Carpathian Basin, known as the Hungarian Conquest period. Our study focuses on an interdisciplinary investigation of a previously known burial, grave No. 63 from the 10th-century-CE cemetery of Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld (eastern Hungary), which represents a unique case with grave goods including jewelry typically associated with females and archery equipment traditionally linked to males. Through archeological, anthropological, and archaeogenetic analyses, we aim to determine if this case represents the first-known female burial with weapon from the 10th-century-CE Carpathian Basin. Despite the poor bone preservation, a factor limiting data recording and evaluation, all analyses consistently indicate that the skeletal remains belonged to a female individual. The burial customs, including weapon equipment composition show analogies with male counterparts in the series. In addition, the pattern of pathological and supposed activity-related changes observed on the bones may have resulted from regular physical activity during her lifetime. In summary, our findings support the identification of this case as the first known female burial with weapon from the 10th-century-CE Carpathian Basin.

Aktivitás okozta csontelváltozások: a honfoglalás kori íjászsírok problémakörének újabb megközelítése

Cranial surgery and cranioplastica in Hungarian conquest period

Scopul studiului este acela de a dezbate aspectele teoretice ale problemei discontinuității și continuității între două epoci, care în literatura de specialitate sunt cunoscute sub denumirile de epoca avară târzie și epoca cuceririi maghiare. În acest scop, în lucrarea de față se dorește aplicarea unui model sociologic pentru a înlesni înțelegerea apariției noii structuri de putere la sfârșitul secolului al IX-lea. Mormintele fac parte dintr-un sit funerar care leagă perioada avară târzie și perioada de cucerire maghiară și este un exemplu unic de acest fel în Bazinul Carpatic. Observațiile arheologice, pe baza analogiilor culturii materiale, susțin datarea celor două morminte la sfârșitul secolului al IX-lea și începutul secolului al X-lea, acestea din urmă reprezentând probabil faza formativă a structurii puterii maghiare din Bazinul Carpatic. Orientarea, înmormântarea cailor, caracteristicile gropilor de mormânt și pozițiile topografice ale acestora indică faptul că ambele morminte aparțineau spațiului funerar al epocii avare târzii, dar pe de altă parte, anumite elemente ale culturii materiale reflectă un context cultural diferit, care poate fi asociat cu perioada de cucerire maghiară (secolul al X-lea). Pe baza analizei culturii materiale și a practicilor de înmormântare, presupunem că, prin relațiile interpersonale, indivizii din mormintele studiate deveniseră parte din structuri socio-politice apărute în urma migrației maghiare în Bazinul Carpatic, la sfârșitul secolului al IX-lea. Este important de subliniat faptul că populațiile organizate pe sistem de clanuri și-au putut păstra obiceiurile și, de aceea, în loc de „ aculturație”, termen adesea folosit în literatura de specialitate, folosim mai degrabă termenul de „ integrare structurală” – după cum sugerează și acest caz particular. „ Integrarea structurală” este, de asemenea, un fenomen de „ suprapunere”, în urma căruia structurile entității cuceritoare le integrează pe cele ale comunității cucerite (sau ale membrilor săi) într-un mod vertical (de sus în jos). Acest lucru nu influențează imaginea de sine sau structura internă a grupului, ci schimbă doar statutul extern prin schimbarea relației sale cu grupul dominant. Credem că acest model poate fi utilizat și în cazul interpretării mormintelor 49 și 50 de la Hortobágy. Se pare că doar anumite elemente ale înmormântării – în primul rând cele cu o pronunțată semnificație simbolică, care indică starea socială a indivizilor și poziționează indivizii îngropați în cadrul mediului lor social ( ?) – s-au schimbat (și anume, înmormântarea cailor, cultura materială care indică statutul social, metoda de acoperire a morților și plasarea lor în mormânt), în timp ce alte elemente care nu au jucat niciun rol din acest punct de vedere au rămas neschimbate (orientarea N– S a celor decedați și caracteristicile uzuale ale gropilor).

Horse riding, a determinant activity in the history of human cultural evolution, remains unreliably identifiable from the analysis of human skeletal remains due to various sample and methodological limitations. Through a comparison between well‐documented series of presumed riders and non‐riders, this study aimed to investigate the link between skeletal fractures and that practice in past populations. We relied on a Hungarian Conquest period population (Sárrétudvari‐Hízóföld, Hungary, 10th century CE) known to be composed of mounted archers. We recorded the presence of acute fractures on the main bones of the upper and lower skeleton to analyze their distribution and perform comparisons between the individuals with or without riding‐related deposits in their grave and with an out‐sample group of presumed non‐riders from the documented Luís Lopes Skeletal Collection (Lisbon). We observed more fractures in the Hungarian series and especially higher rates concerning the upper limb, while the distribution of traumas was more homogenous in the documented collection. There were also significantly more clavicle fractures in the Hungarian group with riding deposit than in the non‐riders from Lisbon, whose type can be related to a fall from a height. Our results coincide with sports medicine data on equestrians, whose injuries mostly concern the upper limbs. Such traumas, and especially clavicle fractures, are often caused, indeed, by a fall from a horse. Through the use of pertinent anthropological series, this study provides the most reliable association between the presence of skeletal traumas and the practice of horse riding in a past population.

The genetic origin of Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians