Craniological research of skulls from two Huns’ burials from the Crimea (the ancient settlement Ust-Alma, 4th–5th centuries AD)

Abstract

Introduction. The invasion of the Huns in Europe, which became the cause of the Great Migration of peoples, could not but leave a significant archaeological trace. However, only a small number of Hun burials are currently known, most of which were discovered accidentally in the middle of the 20th century, which makes each newly discovered burial unique, and their comprehensive study and publication of individual data is important for subsequent research.

Materials and methods. During the excavations in 2021–2022, two Hun burials were discovered in the Ust-Alma necropolis. One of them belonged to a young man, the second to an elderly woman. The good preservation of both skeletons, in particular their skulls, allowed for a complete craniological examination. In addition, a children's Hun skull from the Belyaus settlement was examined, which is in permanent storage at the D. N. Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology.

Results. As a result of the work carried out, it was found that both individuals from Ust-Alma have the same type of skull deformation – high annular (according to the classification of E.V. Zhirov). However, the deformation methods were probably different. The deformation of the skull of a child from Belyaus is defined as occipital with right-sided asymmetry of the occiput. Craniophenetic data do not indicate the relationship of individuals buried in the Ust-Alminsky burial ground. Craniometric data indicate a mixed origin of the crimean Huns.

Conclusion. Due to the small number of Hun burials from Ust-Alma, as well as individual data on Hun skulls in the scientific literature, it is difficult to conduct a statistical analysis based on craniological data. Within the typological approach, for a number of features, the male skull was characterized as Caucasoid, and the female as Mongoloid. Thus, new craniological data on rare Hunnic skulls introduced into scientific circulation will increase the comparative base for further research. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

 

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