Researchers from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) have successfully identified the remains of Prince Béla, former ban of Macsó, who belonged to the Árpád and Rurik dynasties.
The researchers recalled that the remains of a young man were found during an archaeological excavation at the Dominican monastery on Margaret Island in 1915. Based on the circumstances of the discovery, historical data, the location of the burial, and the damage observed on the bones by anthropologist Lajos Bartucz, it was assumed at the time that the remains belonged to Béla, Prince of Macsó, a member of the Árpád dynasty.
However, based on the methodological possibilities of the time, they were not able to confirm or refute this with complete certainty.
Fact
Prince Béla of Macsó (born after 1243 – died on Margaret Island in November 1272) was the grandson of King Béla IV on his mother’s side. On his father’s side, he belonged to the Rurik dynasty, which was of Scandinavian origin and produced numerous grand dukes of Kyiv. Based on 13th-century Austrian chronicles, Prince Béla was assassinated in November 1272 on what is now Margaret Island by Henrik “Kőszegi” of the Héder family. Béla’s badly mutilated body was then buried in the monastery on the island.In 2018, an international research group was formed under the leadership of Tamás Hajdu (ELTE TTK Department of Anthropology), involving anthropologists, geneticists, archaeologists, archaeobotanists, stable isotope and radiocarbon specialists, and dentists. The primary goal of the project was to genetically identify the remains and reconstruct the prince’s life and death as completely as possible through complex forensic and bioarchaeological analysis of the bone finds.
The conclusive genetic identification of the man examined was carried out by Noémi Borbély and Anna Szécsényi-Nagy at the ELTE HTK Institute of Archaeogenomics. Based on their findings, the genealogy indicated by historical sources can be supported by several pieces of corroborating genetic evidence.
The data clearly confirm that Prince Béla of Macsó was the great-grandson (quarter descendant) of King Béla III.”
In line with this, the genetic distance between the prince and Saint Ladislaus (László) is approximately twice as great. The genetic origin estimate based on whole genome data indicates a Scandinavian genetic origin in nearly half of the cases, which confirms the connection to the northern Rurik dynasty. In addition, the significant Eastern Mediterranean components pointed to the maternal grandmother of the person examined: Prince Béla of Macsó’s maternal grandmother was Béla IV’s wife, Maria Laskaris, daughter of the Byzantine emperor. In addition to the above, Y-chromosome tests also confirmed the historical data on the paternal branch of Rurik examined,” results of the study suggested.
Based on the results, it was determined, that the skeleton belonged to a young man who died in his early twenties. In order for researchers to learn the exact circumstances of the prince’s death and to compare them with known historical accounts, a detailed forensic anthropological analysis was also conducted.
Twenty-six injuries related to the man’s death were observed on the skeleton, all of which were caused during a single violent event. The injuries were likely caused by a coordinated attack by three people.
Based on the location and nature of his injuries, the prince faced his attackers in open combat, without a helmet or armor, was aware of the aggression, and tried to defend himself. The assassins used two different types of weapons, presumably a saber and a long sword.
The assassins continued their attack even after the prince fell to the ground, inflicting fatal injuries on his head and face. According to researchers, the intensity of the aggression and the cuts and blows to the face indicated intense emotional involvement (such as sudden rage or hatred), while the coordinated injuries suggest a premeditated murder. Based on the above, although the assassination of Prince Béla of Macsó in November 1272 was planned in part or in whole, it was by no means carried out in cold blood.
“The results clearly illustrate how effectively historical data can be verified and violent deaths in the past can be reconstructed in unprecedented detail through the collaboration of the humanities and natural sciences,” the statement said.
Via MTI; Featured photo: elte.hu
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