Rich tombs of three elite warriors discovered in Hungary

The richly decorated tombs of three elite cavalrymen from the Hungarian conquest period were discovered at Akashto in southern Hungary. Dating to AD 920-930, the tombs contain a wealth of items, including gilt silver belts and harness fittings from northern Italy, sabers, bows and arrows, and silver coins.

The first grave contained the remains of a high-ranking samurai who died at the age of 17 or 18. It has not been looted or disturbed, and its furnishings make it one of the richest tombs ever discovered in the area. He was buried wearing a gold ring set with a blue glass stone, two gold hoops in his hair, and silver rings on his arms and legs.

He also wore an extraordinary belt. The silver gilt hardware on the belt is complete and in good condition. The area around the waist of the deceased was removed in a clod of earth and all belt fittings were recovered, along with silk fibres, textile remnants and leather fragments. That such a complex band-like structure has been preserved intact and retains important organic elements is unprecedented not only in the archaeological record of Hungary, but also of Central and Eastern Europe.

His rank was marked by the silver sabre-plate, a riveted ornament on the front of the leather pouch that the warrior carried containing his fire-making tools. The plate was made of bronze, silver, or gold; the more precious the metal, the higher the status of the warrior and/or the royal family he served. Only about 30 of these plates are known. What makes this product even more unique is that the leather pouch survives and features studs.

As was typical of the warrior elite of the Conquest period, he was buried with a head, legs and horsehide. His harness is richly decorated with gilt silver fittings.

The second grave contains a younger warrior, only 15 or 16 years old when he died. His tomb contained a quiver containing seven arrows and a bow decorated with antler plates. The third fighter is an adult aged 30-35 years. He was buried wearing silver bracelets and equipped with a long knife, a bow and arrows and a harness decorated with gold coins.

A total of 81 Italian silver coins, three bows, 30 iron arrowheads and approximately 400 other coins were recovered from the three graves. The number of Italian coins is particularly important because they are so large that they are twice the number of such coins known from the Carpathian Basin. They date back to the reign of Berengar I (888-924 AD), great-grandson of Charlemagne and ruler of parts of northern Italy. Warriors from the Kingdom of Hungary were hired as mercenaries and fought in many Italian wars during this period. These warriors may have fought in Italy and been paid in silver coins.

Researchers have not yet determined the cause of death, but preliminary genetic analysis suggests there is a familial relationship between the men. The third warrior was most likely the second warrior’s father or brother, and all three men had paternal ancestry. The grouping of the tombs and the quality and quantity of grave goods indicate that boys and men served as bodyguards or followers of the first warriors.

The team also looked at the ratios of isotopes, elements with different numbers of neutrons in the nuclei of atoms, in the warriors’ remains. This analysis showed that the three fighters had a diet rich in animal protein.

From the archaeological finds, “it can be argued that an elite group of warriors, presumably members of the military leadership, were buried here,” the archaeologists wrote. Research is ongoing to learn more about the warriors’ identity.