Rare Types of Trephination from Hungary Shed New Light on Possible Cross-cultural Connections in the Carpathian Basin

Abstract

Symbolic or incomplete trephinations are very common in Hungary in 9th–11thcentury AD skeletal series connected to early Hungarians, although they also occur in the preceding Avar Age (6th–9th c. AD) material. During the compilation of a database of regional cranial modification data, the authors found rare almond‐shaped symbolic trephinations in both periods, while these had formerly only been reported in Early Hungarian series. In this study, the new almond‐shaped lesions are described along with other symbolic trephinations of 14 newly found skulls from the 8th–11thcenturies AD in the Southern Great Plain of Hungary. The authors review the research of the phenomenon. The new findings may strengthen the theory of direct and very close cultural connections of these two ethnic groups, adding a new aspect to the debate over the origin and relationship of Late Avar (late 7th–early 9th c. AD) and Early Hungarian (9th–11th c. AD) populations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A possible case of symbolic trepanation in Neolithic Central Germany

“…Besides rather small round to oval lesions, there were also larger oval or almond‐shaped defects, which were of quite similar shape to those presented here (cf. Bereczki et al, , Figure ). A link with old Turkish and Chinese healing practices has been proposed for these early medieval finds, which were transferred to symbolic‐ritual interventions (Bereczki et al, ; Jordanov et al, ).…”

“…Numerous cranial vault manipulations interpreted as incomplete trepanations were identified in a series of early medieval skeletons from Hungary and Bulgaria (Bereczki et al, ; Jordanov et al, ). Most of the lesions were located along the sagittal suture and around the bregma (Bereczki et al, ). Besides rather small round to oval lesions, there were also larger oval or almond‐shaped defects, which were of quite similar shape to those presented here (cf.…”

“…However, the number of cases is growing continuously. Besides the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, trepanations continued to be used throughout Europe in the Iron Age, in Greek and Roman Antiquity, and in the Middle Ages (e.g., Bennike, ; Bereczki, Molnár, Marcsik, & Pálfi, ; Beyneix, ; Erdal & Erdal, ; Giuffra & Fornaciari, ; Gresky et al, ; Lorkiewicz, Stolarczyk, Śmiszkiewicz‐Skwarska, & Żądzińska, ; Moghaddam et al, ; Silva, ).…”

Survival after trepanation—Early cranial surgery from Late Iron Age Switzerland

“…In all time periods, the lesions are mostly located in the ossa parietalia (Bennike, 2003;Bereczki et al, 2015;Roberts and Manchester, 1995;Silva, 2003;Weber and Czarnetzki, 2001). Throughout Europe, most cases are Neolithic (Roberts and Manchester, 1995;Verano and Finger, 2010).…”

Symbolic trephinations of unusual shape from the Southern Great Plain

“…no. 2836, 40-60 years, male): one slightly healed, circumcised lesion, one perimortem lesion with exposed diploe and one long-healed cut-out lesion (taken from Lipták and Marcsik, 1971; photo taken from Bereczki et al 2013). B: four well-healed symbolic trephinations along the coronal suture of the Hencida skull (inv.…”