Social stratification of the Hun age barbarians in the light of recent investigations in Hungary (on the problem of «separate» or small groups of burials)

In the last quarter of the 4th c. AD, population of the Great Hungarian Plainwas ethnically heterogeneous. Growing number of graves points to a «demographicboom», the only possible explanation of which can be the constant flow of migrantgroups. The earlier archaeological horizon continued, and the autochthonous populationintegrated into the new structure. Beside traditional Sarmatian cemeteries, necropolisesof new type appeared (Tiszadob and Artand Groups). They show features of unificationand, in other aspects, clear heterogeneity (e.g. cemeteries / single graves / groups ofburials with or without deformed skulls, standard or varying orientation). This situationdid not change until the arrival of the Gepids. In the last third of the 4th-5th cc. three typesof burials are recorded: single graves / sacrificial places; small groups of burials; largecemeteries. These differences reflect social stratification. As a result, now there are knownat several sites burials of the same period, found at a large distance (50-200 m), but mostprobably related to each other. At most of these sites Hun Age burials were found closeto a somewhat earlier or also Hun Age Sarmatian sites. The present article analyzes therelationship between the Sarmatian horizon and single graves / small groups of burials,focusing on the place occupied in the social hierarchy of the latter.