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

Directly above grave 4, a fifth grave with a wooden coffin and brick lining was excavated, with a skeleton inside that was so fragmented that it was not kept. With the help of the genetic investigation of the fetus, we were able to determine that the person found in the fourth grave next to it was Princess Predslava. We know that the remains of Princess Predslava’s husband, Prince Álmos

of

the Árpád

Dynasty,

who died in Byzantine exile were brought home on the orders of his son, Béla

II,

and that he was subsequently buried in 1137 in the Royal Basilica of Székesfehérvár.

The

decade-long neglect of the bones of Álmos obviously

damaged them severely, his skeleton had become just as fragile as the persons in grave 5. If we consider that, according to contemporary burial customs, close relatives were buried next to each other, in this case, next to his wife who died in 1116, and if we consider all of the above together, we can come to the conclusion that the person in grave 5 may have been Prince Álmos

of

the Árpád

Dynasty.

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