Horse riding, a determinant activity in the history of human cultural evolution, remains unreliably identifiable from the analysis of human skeletal remains due to various sample and methodological limitations. Through a comparison between well-documented series of presumed riders and non-riders, this study aimed to investigate the link between skeletal fractures and that practice in past populations. We relied on a Hungarian Conquest period population (Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld, Hungary, 10th century CE) known to be composed of mounted archers. We recorded the presence of acute fractures on the main bones of the upper and lower skeleton to analyze their distribution and perform comparisons between the individuals with or without riding-related deposits in their grave and with an out-sample group of presumed non-riders from the documented Luís Lopes Skeletal Collection (Lisbon). We observed more fractures in the Hungarian series and especially higher rates concerning the upper limb, while the distribution of traumas was more homogenous in the documented collection. There were also significantly more clavicle fractures in the Hungarian group with riding deposit than in the non-riders from Lisbon, whose type can be related to a fall from a height. Our results coincide with sports medicine data on equestrians, whose injuries mostly concern the upper limbs. Such traumas, and especially clavicle fractures, are often caused, indeed, by a fall from a horse. Through the use of pertinent anthropological series, this study provides the most reliable association between the presence of skeletal traumas and the practice of horse riding in a past population.

中文翻译：

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骑马坠落：匈牙利征服时期（公元 10 世纪）骑马弓箭手骨折

骑马是人类文化进化史上的一项决定性活动，由于各种样本和方法的限制，从人类骨骼遗骸的分析中仍然无法可靠地识别出来。通过对有据可查的假定骑手和非骑手的系列进行比较，本研究旨在调查骨骼骨折与过去人群中的这种做法之间的联系。我们依赖于匈牙利征服时期的人口（Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld，匈牙利，公元 10 世纪），已知由骑马的弓箭手组成。我们记录了上下骨骼主要骨骼上急性骨折的存在，以分析它们的分布，并在坟墓中有或没有与骑马相关的沉积物的个体之间进行比较，并与来自记录在案的 Luís Lopes 骨骼收藏（里斯本）。我们在匈牙利系列中观察到更多的骨折，尤其是上肢的骨折率更高，而在记录的集合中，创伤的分布更均匀。与来自里斯本的非骑手相比，有骑马沉积的匈牙利组的锁骨骨折也明显更多，其类型可能与从高处坠落有关。我们的结果与马术运动医学数据一致，他们的损伤主要与上肢有关。这样的创伤，尤其是锁骨骨折，确实经常是由马摔倒造成的。通过使用相关的人类学系列，这项研究提供了骨骼创伤的存在与过去人群中骑马的实践之间最可靠的关联。