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 THREE – Archaeological, anthropological and radiological data
womans grave. According to Henszlmann’s dating, one of the men (later labelled 11/53) was 26 years old, the other (skeleton labelled 11/54) may have been below the age of 30. Whether they were from the Árpád period could not be confirmed nor ruled out. With the lack of any grave goods, nothing could be determined about their rank in society. Our genetic investigations ruled out a relation to the Árpád Dynasty and supplied clues suggesting their identity (see Chapter 10). In 1874, Henszlmann unearthed four stone-lined graves: both the way they were built and their level suggested they were from the Árpád period. Of the four graves, two seem to have their tops and bottoms aligned with a previous surface level: this may have been the surface level of the church at the time of its great rebuilding before the 12th century, i.e. in the first half of the 12th century (graves E and G= grave 1/3). The tops of the other two were 30 centimetres higher: these could have been aligned to the 20-25 cm higher, postrebuilding floor from the 12th century (graves F and H = grave 1/4). Thus, out of the four graves, grave 1/3 G is probably from the first half of the 12th century, while grave 1/4 H is from the latter half of the 12th century or early 13th century. The findings from grave H were a bronze ring with the inscription “Agnus Dei”. The use of these rings started in the 13th century. The ring has since been lost, which makes it harder to date it properly. Nothing could be said about the roles played in society by the people buried in the four graves. Bronze rings are common in many layers of society. The person buried in the lost E grave stands out as having been of higher rank, since the reliquary bronze cross stands out as special compared to the usual chest cross. This skeleton was identified in 1874 as female; based 72
