Fenotyp dawnych Słowian (VI-X w.)

Abstrakt

Ws zyscy antropolodzy zajmujący się zagadnieniem etnogenezy lub fenotypu1 Słowian każdorazowo natrafiają na ogromne ograniczenie źródłowe jakim jest brak serii szkieletowych, pochodzących z czasów rozprzestrzeniania się tego ludu w Europie, a także z okresów późniejszych. Wynika to z niemalże powszechnego u plemion słowiańskich stosowania obrządku ciałopalnego pomiędzy V a X wiekiem. Jeszcze w X stuleciu pisarz arabski Ibn Wahsija dziwił się Słowianom „którzy (...) zgodnie ustanowili [obrządek] palenia ciał wszystkich swych zmarłych tak, że nie pozostawiają ani króla, ani żadnego innego [człowieka] bez spalenia go w ogniu po śmierci" [LEWICKI 1969, 158]. W tym wypadku należy zastanowić się nad alternatywnymi źródłami i metodami, które mogą okazać się pomocne przy ustalaniu fenotypu dawnych Słowian<br>THE PHENOTYPE OF SLAVS ( 6 T H - 1 0 T H CENTURY A . D . ). Anthropologists who work on the question of the ethnogenesis or phenotype (set of morphological features) of Slavs inevitably hit upon the serious scarcity of source data caused by the absence of skeletal remains. This is brought about by the almost universal practice of cremation widespread among Slavic tribes between the sixth and 10th century. A sensible solution in these circumstances seems to be a comparative analysis of Middle Age writings, which could prove extremely helpful in establishing the phenotype of Slavs. What, therefore, did these ancient Slavs look like? It is very difficult to give a precise answer since the writings of chroniclers most certainly contain a hefty dose of subjective interpretation and imitation, while the Slavs themselves were not a homogenous population at different times and locations, as has already been noted (CZEKANOWSKI 1948). On the other hand the cognitive value of these historical sources can be quite significant since they originate from different cultures and traditions of the latter-day world (Arabic, Greek-Byzantine, Latin, Hebrew, Germanic). Despite significant geographical distances between the chroniclers, these sources are surprisingly consistent as to the appearance of Slavs. This is perhaps testimony to the relatively easy task of distinguishing the latter-day Slavic populations from other barbarian tribes and to the fact that Slavs had until recently remained a homogenous group since their features established themselves within the same environment. Shortly after departing from their primordial birthplace on the banks of the river Dnepr (in the sixth century) Slavs appear to other nations to be a homogenous peoples with extremely europeidal features, characteristic only of white races. The average Slav is an athletically built, exceptionally strong and tall man. His skin is pale white or swarthy (weather beaten by wind) with dark blond hair with a tendency towards redness. During the next three centuries Slavs were always seen as light hair and white or sometimes pink complexion. From the 10th century the Slavic population ceases to be as homogenous as in the past. Everything indicates that the strongest hybridisation processes involved the Southern Slavs (a dark pigmented population). Irreversible changes to the anthropological structure of Slavs resident in central and eastern Europe did not take place until after the 12th century. These were primarily linked to ongoing micro evolutionary processes, migration, epidemics, wars and widespread colonisation. All this meant that over time the majority of Slavs would lose their original phenotype and become a highly hybridised group, more closely linked by cultural and linguistic similarities than by outward appearance.