Skeleton of Duke Assassinated in 1272 Revealed to Bear Brutal Scars

Over 700 years ago, a Hungarian duke was brutally murdered in a frontal assault at a monastery. Recent studies of ancient human remains uncovered in Budapest have confirmed their identity as the duke, unveiling shocking insights into his assassination.

“The injuries sustained were far more severe than what would typically be required to kill someone,” remarked Martin Trautmann from the University of Helsinki, Finland.

During a 1915 archaeological excavation at a Dominican monastery on Margaret Island in the mid-Danube River in Budapest, the body of a man was discovered in fragments on the monastery floor. Researchers suspected the remains belonged to 29-year-old Béla of Macsó, grandson of King Béla IV, the monastery’s founder.

Records from 13th-century Austria indicate that Béla was assassinated on the island in November 1272 due to a dispute over the Hungarian throne. The bones exhibited multiple signs of trauma, although earlier scientists lacked the capabilities to confirm their initial theories.

The skeleton appeared to be lost during World War II, as noted by Tamas Hajdu, but was rediscovered at Eötvös Lorand University in Hungary in a wooden box at the Hungarian Museum of Natural History in 2018. This rediscovery has spurred investigations utilizing the latest techniques, including a facial reconstruction conducted last year.

Hajdu reported that the skeleton bore nine wounds on the head and face, along with 17 additional wounds across the rest of the body, all inflicted around the time of death. To understand the nature of the assault, Trautman and his team replicated the same injuries on a model skeleton and examined various scenarios. “We analyzed it like a frame-by-frame motion picture, observing injury after injury,” he explained.

Based on the scars, Trautman concluded that two or three assailants attacked the duke from both the front and sides, and the duke attempted to defend himself by blocking the blows with his arms. “They targeted his flanks, leaving him with little chance to escape.”

Eventually, he fell and sustained a skull fracture but continued to fight with his left leg while lying on his side until a stab to his spine ceased his struggle. The attackers then inflicted multiple strikes to his head and face.

While these injuries could have been lethal, it’s also possible he succumbed to excessive bleeding. “There was significant blood loss,” noted Trautman.

Radiocarbon dating confirmed that the remains dated back to the mid-13th century. Plaque analysis indicated a rich diet, including cooked wheat semolina and baked wheat bread.

DNA analysis revealed he was a fourth-generation descendant of King Béla III of Hungary and an eighth-generation relative of Dmitry Alexandrovich, a 13th-century Russian prince, aligning with historical records of the duke’s lineage.

Further genetic studies indicated he had Eastern Mediterranean ancestry on his mother’s side and Scandinavian heritage via his father, consistent with known information on the duke’s ancestry, suggesting he likely possessed dark skin, curly dark hair, and light brown eyes.

This study illuminates a historically significant event with scant details and limited understanding, according to Tamas Kadar, an independent medieval historian in Budapest. Without eyewitness accounts, the Austrian texts primarily record that the duke “met a grisly end on an island near Buda,” with accounts claiming his limbs were “chopped off” and collected by a sister and aunt.

Recent scientific evidence suggests a passionate motive behind the murder, Kadar emphasizes. Biography of Béla of Macsó. “The mutilation of his body, and possibly further disfigurement post-mortem, illustrates profound animosity and hostility,” Kadar asserts. “The prime goal was his swift and certain death.”

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