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

Forestier s disease on the skeletons of every inhabitant from a doister who died between the ages of 43 and 75, while none of the remains from a contemporary cemetery filled with merchants and peasants showed signs of Forestiers disease. If we consider that the northern aisle was usually the burial place of the clergy in medieval times and possibly before, our most reliable conclusion is that a high-ranking clergy person was buried in grave 1/4 H6, who belongs to the Rib metapopulation according to Y-STR. The persons belonging here are mostly found in France and Northern Italy. So in theory, it is possible that the person was a high-ranking clergyman sent by the Pope. In this time period, Clement III (1187-1191), Celestine III (1191-1198) and Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) reigned, and if one of them sent an envoy to Hungary, this could have a trace in the Vatican Archives.

In summary: Skeleton 11/53 is probably a high-ranking person of Byzantine origin. Skeleton 11/54 is from the Middle East. Skeleton 11/55 belongs to the Western European metapopulation. Skeleton 1/3 G5 is a high-ranking person of unknown origin who came from the east. Skeleton 1/4 H6 is possibly a very high-ranking clergyman sent by the Pope.

2. Identifying skeleton II/52_3

1. Radiocarbon

dating. With a 95.4% probability, the radiocarbon dating suggests that skeleton 11/52 is from between 1035 and 1155. Béla Il

’s death falls within this interval (1141), while the deaths of Géza II,

László

II and István

IV

are 7,8 and 10 years later, respectively, than the upper limit of the aforementioned interval. Hence, the radiocarbon dating suggests that skeleton 11/52 is probably Béla

II.

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