Miklós Kásler - Zoltán Szentirmay (szerk.): Identifying the Árpád Dynasty Skeletons Interred in the Matthias Church. Applying data from historical, archaeological, anthropological, radiological, morphological, radiocarbon dating and genetic research (Budapest, 2021)
CHAPTER TEN – Unique identification of the skeletons
was recovered from the Royal Basilica of Székesfehérvár, from a stone-lined grave, its anthropological age is between 36 and 40 years, the archaeological dating places its burial in the first half of the 12th century, there is no data from radiocarbon dating. According to the A-STR and Y-STR mark, this person is a high-ranking foreign individual of unknown origin, who could not be related to the Árpád Dynasty. Skeleton 1/4 H6, found in the grave marked “H”, is from the second half of the 12th century, or possibly the early 13th century. The grave was later robbed, and thus the only grave good found was a bronze ring with an Agnus Dei engraving. The use of similar rings began in the 13 th century and later occurred in wider strata of society. The ring was lost, which makes precise dating difficult. Archaeological methods could not reveal anything about the societal standing of those buried in the four graves found in the northern aisle, but if we consider the finds from the other two graves which have since been lost, we can form the hypothesis that the person buried was high-ranking because of the arc holder bronze cross that was found in grave E, which is a more delicate piece than the chest cross usually found in graves. Grave 1/4 H6 could not be a royal grave, because at the beginning of the 13th century no Hungarian King was buried in the Royal Basilica of Székesfehérvár, and also because the A-STR and Y-STR marker analyses ruled out that possibility. The possibility of an interesting conclusion was opened up by the palaeopathological investigation by Dr Józsa, as he diagnosed Forestiers disease (Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis) on the skeleton. This disease was described by Waldron (1985) as a “new occupational disease” of monks that lived between 1140 and 1540. Janssen et al. (1999) found signs of 192
