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)

Epilogue

contribute to a better understanding of Hungary’s past, that they are writing a new chapter in the history of research on the Árpád

Dynasty, and that it will allow posterity to pay its respects before one of Hungary’s medieval Kings.

The research, however, has a much greater benefit, even if it may not be immediately clear to the outside observer. The research team demonstrated that it is possible to achieve new results with the means and institutional background available, even if several professionals expressed their doubts about that previously. It is also possible for the representatives of several disciplines from several nations to conduct outstanding work together for a common goal, devising and applying completely new or underused methods of investigation.

Thanks to these investigations, in addition to the identification of King Béla

II,

through the genetic investigation of the remains found in the graves excavated at the Virgin Mary Basilica of Székesfehérvár,

we have become more familiar with the Árpád

Dynasty

royals and their families, and by extension, the history of all Hungarians. The participants of the research trust that their work will inspire historians, archaeologists and geneticists interested in this subject, and allow for a better understanding of some aspects of the Hungarian people’s distant past.

We hope that this book, although it summarizes the results of multidisciplinary research that lasted for several years, is not the beginning of the end, but rather the start of a new scientific process.

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