Decorated Femoral Head from the Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Gáň (Galanta District, Slovakia)

• XLVIII/2–3 • pp. 143–151 • 2010

ALENA ŠEFČÁKOVÁ, SILVIA BODORIKOVÁ, PETRA PANENKOVÁ,

MILAN THURZO, MICHAL TAKÁCS, JOZEF URMINSKÝ

Decorated femoral head from the Early

Bronze Age cemetery at Gáň
(Galanta district, Slovakia)

ABSTRACT: An incomplete, probably femoral head (caput femoris) with the appearance of a decorated bone artefact
was found in grave AH 168 at the Gáň cemetery (Galanta district, Slovakia). The cemetery was dated to the Early
Bronze Age (1900 BC) and belonged to the so-called Nitra culture. The grave proved to be highly disturbed secondarily;
it contained much-damaged skeletal remains., It was set in southwest-northeast orientation and had the shape of a
slightly irregular rectangle. Approximately in the centre of the grave pit, there were the inhumated human remains of a
young adult person. They consisted of broken long bones of the upper extremities, of both the shoulder bones and a right
ulna proximal fragment. A copper dagger was lying in between them. In the northeast part of the grave, the incomplete
femora, a part of the fibula and a pelvis fragment were found. Near the femoral distal epiphysis, a decorated femoral
head was situated. Furthermore, fragments of a temporal bone and six teeth were found.
The femoral head was decorated with an abstract image consisting of parallel lines and squares; its body was
perforated by five holes. Using the CT scan, we tried to determine if the artefact was made of human or bear (Ursus)
femur. However, the analysis revealed that it is not possible to precisely differentiate a human bone sample from that
of a bear. Moreover, the possibility that the artefact was made of the femoral head of another animal (bigger mammal)
could not be excluded. The function of the artefact is not clear; we suppose it could have been either an amulet, or a
big button for fastening clothing.

Key words: Bone artefact – Grave goods – Abstract decoration – Engraving – Symbolism – Button – Central Europe
– Early Bronze Age

Introduction dated to the Neolithic and Copper Ages, the Maďarovce

culture of the Early Bronze Age, as well as three cemeteries
In the first half of 2007, rescue archaeological excavations dated to the Early Bronze Age, the Migration Period and
were conducted in the village of Gáň (Galanta district, the Middle Ages, respectively.
Southwest Slovakia). They were conducted by the Museum The cemetery from the Early Bronze Age dated to the
at Galanta under the supervision of J. Urminský and M. period about 1900 BC and belonging to both the older and
Takács, while S. Bodoriková conducted the anthropological the younger phase of the Nitra group (culture) consisted of
research. As to the precise location, the excavation was 149 graves (Figure 2). All individuals buried in consisted
situated at local area named Brakoň, in the ProLogis Park grave pits lay in a  foetal (flexed) position. Presumably,
site (Figure 1). The site was located on a sand dune, with as it was typical for this period, the women were lying on
natural elevation about 100 – 130 cm above the surrounding their left side with head facing east (Figure 3) and the men
terrain. Archaeologists uncovered prehistoric settlements were lying on the right side with their heads turned to the

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 Alena Šefčáková, Silvia Bodoriková, Petra Panenková, Milan Thurzo, Michal Takács, Jozef Urminský

FIGURE 1. Map of Slovakia with the

location of the Gáň site.

FIGURE 2. Gáň cemetery, Early Bronze

Age, Galanta district, Slovakia. Photo M.
Takács.

west (Figure 4). As interesting finds, the  double burials The female graves contained  jewellery of different
of individuals of different genders can be mentioned; the types. The bronze hair rings and willow-leaf-shaped
inhumated individuals were probably related (Figure 5). earrings are typical for this period. They were mainly
Preservation of skeletal remains is poor; they are often located near the skull – as many as one to six specimens.
only fragmentary or are completely destroyed due to soil Bronze jewellery similar to willow leaf is also often found
conditions. Some of the individuals had only small bone in other archaeological sites dated to the Early Bronze
fragments or teeth preserved. Age, and besides the hair rings, rings were also made in
The most frequent  objects among the grave artefacts this style.
were beads made of bone, around  the neck (necklaces), One of the most significant finds was a simple golden-
waist and lower limbs areas. Beads were very small, only wire ring  discovered in one of the male graves. These
four to six millimetres in diameter. They had been originally graves also contained small bronze knives and daggers,
strung on organic material laces, which had decomposed which had the same willow-leaf shape as the earrings.
and were not preserved; they had been arranged into the In additions to the bronze knives, perfectly worked split
chains connected to the lines by osseous plates. Thanks to stone arrowheads about two centimetres long were found.
them, the skilled prehistoric jewellers could create wider Ceramic objects were  discovered in only three graves,
strips of four to eight rows of beads. Strings used to be where one complete and two fragmentary vessels have
completed by the bronze rings. been found.

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Decorated Femoral Head from the Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Gáň (Galanta District, Slovakia)

FIGURE 3. A typical female grave (AH 61), Early Bronze Age, Gáň, FIGURE 4. A typical male grave (AH 79), Early Bronze Age, Gáň,
Galanta district, Slovakia. Photo A. Šefčáková. Galanta district, Slovakia. Photo M. Takács.

During excavations on  June 11, 2007,  an interesting contained much-damaged skeletal remains. Grave robbers,
decorated bone artefact was found in  grave AH 168 who probably entered the grave from the southwest side
(Takács 2007). The highly secondarily disrupted grave through a small niche in the front of the grave pit embedded
of the Nitra culture (its precise classification to the older into the gravel-sand subsoil, disturbed the grave pit. The
or younger developmental stage is, however, impossible) grave was oriented in a southwest-northeast direction and

FIGURE 5. A double grave (AH 134),

Early Bronze Age, Gáň, Galanta district,
Slovakia. Photo M. Takács.

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 Alena Šefčáková, Silvia Bodoriková, Petra Panenková, Milan Thurzo, Michal Takács, Jozef Urminský

FIGURE 6. The grave AH 168, young adult, Early Bronze Age, Gáň, FIGURE 7. A detail of the grave AH 168 with the decorated artefact,
Galanta district, Slovakia. Photo M. Takács. Gáň, Galanta district, Slovakia. Photo M. Takács.

had the shape of a slightly irregular rectangle (dimensions, The aim of this study  was to analyse the decorated
91×236 cm; depth, 61cm; Figure 6). osseous artefact from the point of view of both its origin
Human skeletal remains were deposited  in the centre and its decorative style. The basic problem was to determine
of the grave. It seems that damaged long bones of upper whether its origin was human or animal. Since the femoral
limbs (the right and left humerus and proximal fragment head was lying near the end of the human distal femoral
of the right ulna) remained in the southwestern part of a diaphysis, its origin can be supposed to be human. However,
grave. A copper dagger was lying between them. In the the possibility that the femoral head is of animal origin (e.g.
northeastern part of the grave an incomplete femur, a part of it could be a fragment of an ursine femur which is very
one fibula and a pelvic fragment were present. Besides this, similar to a human one) can not be eliminated.
an artificially worked osseous object was found near the DNA and/or histological analyses would be the most
distal epiphysis of the longer femoral fragment (Figure 7). significant methods for species identification. Considering
Small pieces of temporal bone and six teeth were also the size of the artefact and the fact that only a small quantity
found in the grave. The skeletal remains seemed to copy of preserved osseous substance was present (especially in
the right-side orientation of an individual inhumated with the case of the surface compact bone), we decided to use
bent lower limbs. non-destructive methods in the first phase of the analysis.
In addition to the detailed morphoscopic analysis, the
artefact was examined using the CT scanner Siemens –
METHODS Somatom Volume Zoom in Radio-diagnostic Department
of Faculty Hospital with Polyclinic Bratislava-Ružinov
The poor preservation of the skeletal remains from grave (Slovakia).
AH 168, as well as the fact that only some of them were
in an approximate anatomical position, did not allow us
to use standard morphoscopic and morphometric methods Results and discussion
for analysis. The individual’s age at the time of death was
estimated on the basis of both tooth wear (Lovejoy 1985) Anthropological analysis
and the stage of tooth mineralization (Buikstra, Ubelaker From the archaeological context, it was obvious that the
1994). buried individual  was laying  on its right side with  bent

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Decorated Femoral Head from the Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Gáň (Galanta District, Slovakia)

FIGURE 8. Grave AH 168: Decorated artefact made from the apical FIGURE 9. Grave AH 168: Decorated artefact – a central strip with
part of a femoral head; a) an apical view; b) smoothed back side. engraved orthorhombic decoration. Photo F. Engel.
Photo F. Engel.

lower limbs. However, after detailed examination we at its core. At the place of separation, the internal surface
learned that the position of the right and left humerus was of this hemi-spherical object was polished (Figure 8).
interchanged, so we could not apply the limb position to The artefact’s maximum height is 20.57 mm; its almost
sex estimation (according to the burial ritual of Nitra regular round circumference reaches a maximum diameter
culture the males used to be buried laying on their right of 46.2 mm. A small fragment of the edge is missing;
side). Due to secondary grave dislocation and heavy post probably it had been broken in the past. The colour of the
mortem damage to skeletal remains, the anthropological sex damaged part is the same as the colour of the rest of the
diagnosis was very problematic, too. To estimate the age of object.
the individual at the time of death, we could only use the The artefact’s surface is engraved with a clear geometric
teeth. The upper left second incisor, the right second molar, abstract decoration. A wide strip is engraved in the middle
the lower canines, the lower right premolar and the lower of the artefact; it narrows from one side to  the other,
right first molar have been preserved. Dental wear was only reaching a maximum width of 13.66 mm and minimum
slight and it seems that the upper right second molar still width of 4.53 mm. The cross lines create a prismatic pattern
had an incomplete root. The individual probably died at an in its widest part. On the sides of the centre of the wider
age of approaching adulthood or as a young adult person strip, there are seven approximately parallel lines on one
(category adultus I, 20–30 years of age). Relatively short side and eight on the other; they are ca 2.0–3.5 mm wide.
diaphyses of long bones are also incomplete so it is not The decorated surface is smooth and partly covered by
sure whether they had been synostosed. remains of an ochre colour (Figure 9).
There are four significant perforations, probably drilled,
Artefact shape and origin present in the femoral head (Figure 8).  Two of them
The artefact located next to the distal epiphysis of a femur (perforations A, and B) form a beginning and end of the
has been identified as a decorated osseous object most tunnel. The first perforation (perforation A) is located
probably of the left femoral head origin (caput femoris, in the place of fovea capitis and performs the entrance to
femur sin.). It consists of a proximal (proximal-medial) part tunnel running longitudinally across the most convex part
of the femoral head separated from the rest approximately of the artefact. The diameter of perforation A is 3.94 mm.

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 Alena Šefčáková, Silvia Bodoriková, Petra Panenková, Milan Thurzo, Michal Takács, Jozef Urminský

FIGURE 10. Tomograms of femoral heads; a) decorated artefact; b) FIGURE 11. Circular bone disc found in the grave 40 at the Early Bronze
cave bear (Ursus spelaeus); c) man in the age of 40–50 years; d) man Age cemetery of Veľký Grob, Galanta district, Slovakia (Chropovský
in the age over 50 years. 1960).

The diameter of the hole at the end of tunnel (perforation centimetres in diameter was found in the male grave No. 40
B) is 4.02 mm. Other two (less obvious) perforations (Chropovský 1960: 30–31, 71). The plate was polished on
with diameters 5.88 mm (perforation C) and 6.71 mm both sides; the thickness of one end was three millimetres,
(perforation D) are situated on two sides of previous whilethe other end was only one millimetre. The plate had
perforations and they pass cross the femoral head and come been probably used as a talisman, but it is slightly damaged
out on the separated flat side of the artefact. Remains of a and it is not possible to find whether any perforations had
possibly fifth perforation are visible on the damaged edge been present (Figure 11; Chropovský 1960: 31).
(perforation E). At the cemetery of Branč, Nitra district, Slovakia (Nitra
The femoral head was scanned by computer tomography. group, 236 graves; Vladár 1973: 154–156), seven osseous
Because we have not at our disposal an ursine femoral head amulets (Figure 12) have been found in six male graves:
dated to the Early Bronze Age, as reference samples the Nos.18, 31, 88, 172 (a child, according to the orientation
femoral heads of a cave bear (Ursus spelaeus), a brown a boy), 179 and 298 (two amulets). In them, warriors or
bear (Ursus arctos), a man in the age of 40 – 50 years, and individuals with higher social status (Vladár 1973: 155)
a man older than 50 years (Figure 10) were used. were inhumated. Four of the graves with amulets (Nos. 18,
The most significant differences are these between the 31, 172, and 179) were situated in the central south part
osseous artefact and the femoral head of an older individual of the burial ground; grave 298 was located more to the
who had significantly thinner compact bone and more tenuous East, while grave 88 belonged to a small group of graves
cancellous bone. However, the differences between  the located at the east border of cemetery.
decorated femoral head on the one side, and the sample from The osseous amulets were typologically divided into
cave bear and a younger individual on the other are not so five groups by Vladár (1973: 154–155): 1) flat elliptical
expressive. The cancellous bone is of similar density, while amulets (grave 18); 2) flat circular amulets with holes in
the thickness of compact bone is comparable. the perimeter (graves 31, 179, 298); 3) amulet from human
Unfortunately, the CT analysis did not help us to identify skull (grave 88); 4) irregular pendant with perforation
the origin of the artefact. (grave 172); 5) flat semi-elliptical pendant with a  big
circular hole in the middle and a smaller hole for hanging
Decoration and function of the artefact at the top (grave 298).
The distant analogies, mainly from the Early Bronze Age Circular amulets, typical for  later phase of the Nitra
cemeteries, can help us to determine function and style of group culture, are also known from the Nitra-Čermáň
the object decoration. cemetery (Nitra district, Slovakia; Vladár 1973: 155).
At the Veľký Grob cemetery (Galanta district, Slovakia) However, it seems that the closest analogy to our find is a
dated to the Early Bronze Age, a circular bone plate of five proximal articular head from the settlement of Maďarovce-

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Decorated Femoral Head from the Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Gáň (Galanta District, Slovakia)

FIGURE 12. Bone amulets from a cemetery of the Early Bronze Age Nitra group at Branč, Nitra district, Slovakia (Vladár 1973): a) flat elliptical
amulet from grave 18; b) flat circular amulet with circumferential apertures from grave 31; c) amulet made from human skull coming from grave
88; d) irregular bangle with aperture from grave 172; e) flat circular amulet with circumferential apertures from grave 179; f) flat circular amulet
with circumferential apertures from grave 298.

Věteřov culture in the village of Hodonice (Znojmo

district, Czech Republic; Stuchlíková 1993: 270–271).
This proximal half of the articular head is similar to the one
of our case. Although a part of the head is missing, a big
aperture in the middle of it with three smaller holes at the
same distance from the main aperture is obvious. The rim of
the head is decorated by small groves (Figure 13). Worked
and perforated femoral heads, including the specimens
made from human bones, are very interesting artefacts of
the mentioned culture (Stuchlíková 1993: 270).
Regarding the geometric decoration, a similar principle
consisting of combination of stripes and crossed or winding
lines, can be seen e.g. in a fragment of a thin, bone, horse
bit side from Malé Kosihy, Nové Zámky district, Slovakia
(Maďarovce culture). This object is slightly worked and
polished, and decorated by  groups of  triple  horizontal
lines criss-crossed with  a waving line  (Točík 1959: 29,
49). Another similarly decorated object was a horse bit
side made of antler from Šurany-Nitriansky Hrádok –
location "Zámeček", Nové Zámky district, Slovakia. Its
surface is engraved with decoration consisting of combined FIGURE 13. Proximal articular head from the settlement of the
horizontal lines and the cross lines which are alternating – Maďarovce-Věteřov culture (Early Bronze Age) at Hodonice, Znojmo
once left, once right (Točík 1959: 29, 49). A hollow antler district, Czech Republic (Stuchlíková 1993).

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 Alena Šefčáková, Silvia Bodoriková, Petra Panenková, Milan Thurzo, Michal Takács, Jozef Urminský

FIGURE 14. Early Bronze Age decoration analogies: a) lateral fragment of a thin osseous horse bit from Malé Kosihy, Nové Zámky district, Slovakia
(Maďarovce culture); b) lateral part of a horse bit made from antler found at Nitriansky Hrádok – location "Zámeček", Nové Zámky district, Slovakia
(Maďarovce culture); c) hollow antler cylinder from Nitriansky Hrádok – location "Zámeček" (Maďarovce culture; Točík 1959).

cylinder comes from the same location and is decorated Using the CT analysis, we tried to determine whether
all the way around with three horizontal lines; it is criss- the artefact was made of human or ursine femoral bone
crossed by a zigzag line on one side, as well as wedges on (Ursus spelaeus and Ursus arctos). Unfortunately, the
the opposite side (Figure 14; Točík 1959: 29, 49). natural origin of the object is still uncertain. It cannot be
The abstract or geometrical decoration of the small excluded that the artefact had been made of femoral head
objects, by either engravings or drawings (paintings), is of another big mammal.
very ancient. This type of decoration occurs from the Upper As regards the function of this osseous artefact, it could
Palaeolithic Age until the present time. One of the oldest have served as  an amulet or a big button for fastening
ornaments even dates back to Middle Palaeolithic Age and clothes.
can be understand as the evidence of ancient symbolic way
of thinking in Homo sapiens sapiens. The similar abstract
decoration scratched by a sharp instrument was found on Acknowledgements
the surface of a few pieces of red ochre uncovered from the
Middle Stone Age layers at Blombos Cave in South Africa This study was supported by the funds VEGA 1/4340/07
(Henshilwood et al. 2002). and VEGA 1/0133/10. We would like to thank Monika
As regards the function of the object analysed in this Orvošová from the Slovak Museum of Nature Protection
paper, it is very likely that it served as an amulet; however, it and Speleology in Liptovský Mikuláš (Slovakia) for
is possible that it was used as a button for fastening clothes lending us an ursine femoral bone (Ursus arctos) and
(e.g. coat). Priest-Dorman (1993) speculated that big Vladimír Jánsky from the Slovak National Museum in
buttons had been used for fastening clothes as far back as Bratislava (Slovakia) for supplied us with a fossil ursine
in the Early and Middle Bronze Ages but it seems likely femur (Ursus spelaeus). We are also obliged to Maca and
that the buttons had also served as aesthetic or decorative Ivo Vaskovic for their help in the translation to English.
objects or could  have been some symbols in social
communication (Luik, Ots 2007).
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Alena Šefčáková
Slovak National Museum
Natural History Museum
Department of Anthropology
Vajanského nábrežie 2
810 06 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
E-mail: sefcakova@snm.sk

Silvia Bodoriková
Petra Panenková
Milan Thurzo
Comenius University in Bratislava
Faculty of Natural Sciences
Department of Anthropology
Mlynská dolina B2
842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
E-mail: b odorikova@fns.uniba.sk
panenkova@fns.uniba.sk
thurzo@fns.uniba.sk

Michal Takács
Vlastivedné museum Galanta
Hlavná ul. 976/8
924 00 Galanta, Slovak Republic
E-mail: takacsmichal@gmail.com

Jozef Urminský
Vlastivedné múzeum Hlohovec
Františkánske nám. 1
920 01 Hlohovec, Slovak Republic
E-mail: urminsky.jozef@zupa-tt.sk

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