MDH-630: Madaras, Hungary

G-M406>FGC5089>FGC5081>Y2724>L645>Z40484

Sample_id: MDH-630
Location: Madaras, Hungary 46.0414, 19.279793
Archeological Age: AD 100-200  Middle-Late Sarmatian Period
YDNA: G2a2b1a1b2a1a2~  G-Z40484 (G-Z42379)

Cemetery: Madaras - Halmok

Grave Nn. 630
Age: ?
MDTNA:U5b1b1+@16192
Coverage: 0.59
Global25:
Published: Unveiling the Origins and Genetic Makeup of the 'Forgotten People': A Study of the Sarmatian-Period Population in the Carpathian Basin

The fragmented skeleton of a middle adult female, oriented in a SE–NW direction, was found in this undisturbed grave. Fragments of an iron brooch were uncovered from the burial. The burial belonged to the 2nd group of graves and was dated to the 2nd–3rd centuries CE.

These periods are: 1. Early Sarmatian Period: From the arrival of the Sarmatians in the Great Hungarian Plain (~50 CE) to the 2nd half of the 2nd century CE. 2. Middle Phase: From the period of the Marcomannic wars to the end of the 3 rd century CEabandonment of Dacia. 3. Late Period: From the end of the 3rd century CE to the last third of the 5th century CE. Unfortunately, the Sarmatian archaeological chronology of the Carpathian Basin is not fully aligned with the chronological systems used for the Central European Germanic and Eastern European regions20

Madaras – Halmok (MDH; Bács-Kiskun County, Hungary) 91,92 Following smaller excavations and fieldwork in 1903, 1952, and 1957, systematic rescue and preventive excavations led by Mihály Kőhegyi began at the border of Madaras village between 1963 and 1975. These excavations uncovered settlement features and burials from the Árpádian-age, as well as a Sarmatian burial ground containing 632 objects, including graves and pits containing animal bones. This cemetery is still considered the largest completely excavated Sarmatian cemetery in the Carpathian Basin that was published both archaeologically and anthropologically. More than half of the burials were partially or fully disturbed and/or robbed, complicating the archaeological and anthropological evaluation of the cemetery. Three types of burial forms were identified in the cemetery: most were unmarked grave pits (481 cases), but graves with surrounding ditches (102 cases), and ditched barrow burials (14 cases) were also found. While these burial types did not form separate groups, four territorial groups were distinguished, containing a mix of these burial forms. The size of the pits varied between burial types, with unmarked graves having smaller dimensions. Further differences have been found in age categories, with the graves of adolescences generally being smaller compared to those of adults. The orientation of the graves varied with SE¬–NW, SSE–NNW, and SSW–NNE directions being the most common. In addition, some graves were oriented in W–E and E– W directions, and in one case, an opposite, NE–SW orientation was observed. In a few cases, traces of fire were observed in the grave pits; however, contemporary robbery significantly limited the understanding of this phenomenon. In some cases, calcite layers, 0.3–3 cm thick, were discovered on the bottoms and sidewalls of the grave pits. Most skeletons were found in a supine position with straightened extremities. Alternate positions, such as lying on their side or in a strongly flexed position, were observed only occasionally. The cemetery contained primarily single burials, with several exceptions where double burials of an adult and a sub-adult were documented. Iron parts of wooden coffins in various forms were found in good preservation in 50 burials, 10 of which were barrow burials. In addition, traces of small wooden chambers were detected in three barrow burials.

A high number of artifacts were recovered from the cemetery. The inventory of sub-adult burials was significantly poorer compared to adult burials, mostly containing unvaried beads and ceramic vessels, with jewelry (e.g., bracelets, earrings) being uncommon. Female graves were the richest in artifacts, featuring a high number of jewelry items (earrings, brooches, strings of beads, torques, pendants, bracelets) and various cloth fittings (e.g., bead ornaments on clothes). In addition, tools (e.g., awls, fire-lighting tools, needles, knives, and spindle whorls), mirrors, ceramic vessels, and, in one case, horse riding equipment were found in these burials. Male burials, on the other hand, contained fewer artifacts, with items traditionally associated with males, such as weapons, being particularly rare. Their inventory mostly included belt buckles, knives, ceramic vessels, with a smaller extent of jewelry (e.g., brooches, torques, pendants, bracelets), and, in one case, a sickle. Certain artifacts, including ceramic vessels, glass products, mirrors, coins, and brooches, indicate close contacts with the Roman Empire. The Madaras cemetery was dated between the end of the 2nd century CE (i.e., the end of the Marcomannic wars) and the beginning of the 5th century CE. The above mentioned four main groups exhibited different characteristics. The first group, located in the southern part of the site and composed of both barrows and unmarked graves, was dated from the turn of the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE to the beginning of the 5th century CE. The second group, located in the southwestern part of the site, contained the earliest burials, with its use ending in the mid-3rd century CE. The third, central group consisted of a core of burials dating to the earliest period, spreading circularly mainly towards the south and southwest over time. The fourth group, located in the northern part of the cemetery, was dated between the mid-3rd and the beginning of the 5th centuries CE. The results of the anthropological research were summarized by Antónia Marcsik. The state of preservation of the bones was generally poor, with a total of 463 skeletons available for analysis. Among them, 107 sub-adults and 356 adults were identified, including 205 females and 132 males. Based on morphometric analysis, Europid characteristics were observed in most of the skulls, primarily the Pamyrian type. However, a minor proportion of the individuals exhibited Mongolid and EuropoMongolid features. Craniometric analysis revealed population heterogeneity, with only 70% of individuals sharing characteristics of this population, while 30% showed analogies with other 4th–6th-century CE series, such as Csongrád–Kenderföldek, from the southern region of the Great Hungarian Plain. In addition, traces of artificial deformation were observed on four skulls. The Madaras–Halmok series illustrates the challenges researchers face when conducting bioarchaeological investigations on the Sarmatian period population of the Carpathian Basin. Out of 632 burial features, 463 contained skeletal remains available for anthropological analysis. However, only 46 individuals had skull elements (either petrous bone or tooth) preserved and suitable for archaeogenetic sampling. Ultimately, we could include 27 samples from the four groups of the cemetery in our analysis.