Hungarian National Museum

About: Hungarian National Museum is a archive organization based out in Budapest, Hungary. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Chalcolithic & Population. The organization has 70 authors who have published 106 publications receiving 2223 citations. The organization is also known as: Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum.

Possible cases of leprosy from the Late Copper Age (3780-3650 cal BC) in Hungary.

Abstract: At the Abony-Turjanyos dűlő site, located in Central Hungary, a rescue excavation was carried out. More than 400 features were excavated and dated to the Protoboleraz horizon, at the beginning of the Late Copper Age in the Carpathian Basin, between 3780–3650 cal BC. Besides the domestic and economic units, there were two special areas, with nine-nine pits that differed from the other archaeological features of the site. In the northern pit group seven pits contained human remains belonging to 48 individuals. Some of them were buried carefully, while others were thrown into the pits. The aim of this study is to present the results of the paleopathological and molecular analysis of human remains from this Late Copper Age site. The ratio of neonates to adults was high, 33.3%. Examination of the skeletons revealed a large number of pathological cases, enabling reconstruction of the health profile of the buried individuals. Based on the appearance and frequency of healed ante- and peri mortem trauma, inter-personal (intra-group) violence was characteristic in the Abony Late Copper Age population. However other traces of paleopathology were observed on the bones that appear not to have been caused by warfare or inter-group violence. The remains of one individual demonstrated a rare set of bone lesions that indicate the possible presence of leprosy (Hansen’s disease). The most characteristic lesions occurred on the bones of the face, including erosion of the nasal aperture, atrophy of the anterior nasal spine, inflammation of the nasal bone and porosity on both the maxilla and the bones of the lower legs. In a further four cases, leprosy infection is suspected but other infections cannot be excluded. The morphologically diagnosed possible leprosy case significantly modifies our knowledge about the timescale and geographic spread of this specific infectious disease. However, it is not possible to determine the potential connections between the cases of possible leprosy and the special burial circumstances.

Investigation of incrusted pottery found in the territory of Hungary by micro-PIXE method

Abstract: Incrusted pottery samples from the territory of Hungary were analyzed by micro-PIXE technique. Measurements were executed on the front and back side of the samples and inside the incrustations too. We succeeded to group the pottery from different regions and periods by the composition of the ornament. It was concluded that the elemental composition of the ornament may be characteristic to the provenance of the pottery. In case of samples from Vors-Mariaasszonysziget the presence of a kind of grit in the incrustations with high calcium and phosphorus content was established. The material of the grit is presumably bone. Samples from other archaeological localities can be described by incrustations with different compositions. Incrustations in the samples from Balatonfuzo are presumably composed of limestone (CaCO 3 ), from Baradla cave (Aggtelek) probably of white clay paste (kaolinite). It was also concluded that the red color of the ornaments of some sample from Baradla cave is caused by hematite.

Parallel ancient genomic transects reveal complex population history of early European farmers

Abstract: Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA data set assembled to date---a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000-2900 BCE, n = 98), Germany (5500-3000 BCE, n = 42), and Spain (5500-2200 BCE, n = 37)---we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways that gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modeling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.