Bioarchaeological Research on the Social Organization of 10th-11th Century Communities in the Carpathian Basin through Complex Cemetery Analyses

Project ID: NKFIH-STARTING, 149860
Planned Project Duration: 2025-2028
Project leader: Veronika Csáky (HUN-REN RCH Institute of Archaeogenomics)
Host Institution: HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics
Planned Sample Size: 110 human samples
Project Researchers:

• Gyuris Balázs, Szeifert Bea, Mende Balázs G., Jakab Kristóf (HUN-REN RCH Institute of Archaeogenomics)
• Langó Péter (HUN-REN RCH Institute of Archaeology)
• Türk Attila (PPKE BTK Institute of Archaeological Sciences)

Building on previous genetic research (Csősz et al. 2016, Csáky et al. 2020, Szeifert et al. 2022), the project starts from the hypothesis that the 10th-century Hungarian conquerors arrived in the Carpathian Basin in family groups. A recent study has identified certain kinship relationships both within and between cemeteries (Gerber, Csáky, Szeifert et al. 2024). However, the forms of these families and the biological background of community organization remain unknown. The primary objective of this research is to conduct an innovative investigation into kinship networks, social organization, internal mobility, and microregional differences by analyzing high-resolution genetic data. The study will examine anthropological remains from cemeteries across different regions of the 10th-century Carpathian Basin, aiming for comprehensive site-level analyses.

 Publications of the research results:

• Bea Szeifert, Veronika Csáky, Dániel Gerber, Balázs Gyuris, Péter Langó, Türk Attila, István Major, Dániel Giedl, Péter Major, Norbert Berta, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Tamás Szeniczey, Tamás Hajdu, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Regional Genetic Differences of the Carpathian Basin Population in the 10th Century AD. Poster presentation, 11th International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology (ISBA), 26–29 August 2025, Turin, Italy

 

MTA-BTK Momentum Bioarchaeology Research Group: Life and Death at the Edge of the Roman Civilization - Complex bioarchaeological analysis of the communities of Pannonia

https://bioarch-momentum.hu/en/

 

A multidisciplinary analysis of the former settlements of the early Hungarians and the first generations of the conquerors in the Carpathian Basin

Planned timeframe of the project: 2015–2026
Project leaders: Anna Szécsényi-Nagy (Institute of Archaeogenomics, HUN-REN RCH), Türk Attila (Early Hungarians Research Team, HUN-REN RCH, Institute of Archaeology;  PPCU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of Archaeological Sciences)
Host institute: Institute of Archaeogenomics, HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities
Participating researchers of the project in Hungary:

• Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Veronika Csáky, Bea Szeifert, Balázs Gyuris, Dániel Gerber (Institute of Archaeogenomics HUN-REN RCH)
• Péter Langó (Institute of Archaeology, HUN-REN RCH)
• Balázs Egyed (Department of Genetics, ELTE Faculty of Science)

One of the most traditional research directions of the Institute is the genetic analysis of potential early Hungarians excavated in present day Russia and Ukraine. Their material culture also shows archaeological parallels with the medieval burials of the Carpathian Basin. Studies on this topic have been ongoing since the mid-2010s and form the backbone of one of the Institute's research strategies.

Our aim is to analyse the former settlements of the early Hungarians, to trace their migration routes and to genetically survey the cemeteries of the Hungarians remaining in the East.

The studies started with the genetic analysis of the Uyelgi cemetery (eastern side of the Ural Mountains) in 2012, and since then more and more human bone remains from cemeteries east of the Carpathian Basin have been analysed.

Both genetic analyses and radiocarbon dating is a major focus of our work. Researchers from PPKE continuously conduct archaeological excavations in pertinent areas, and we maintain ongoing scientific collaborations with foreign colleagues, including Russian, Ukrainian, and Moldavian archaeologists and anthropologists.

After analysing the medieval cemeteries of Western Siberia and the Volga-Urals region, the Hungarian, Pecheneg and Slavic samples have been collected from the South Intermediate settlement area (the Dnieper and Dniester Rivers), and the remains of the earliest conquerors of the Carpathian Basin are analysed in our laboratory. Our aim is not only to discover the relationship between cemeteries directly related to the Hungarians, but also to characterise the genetic composition of the neighbouring groups.

Initially, the maternal and then the paternal lineages were studied by our institute, followed by whole genome analyses, which focus on population and individual level research questions as well. In that way, it is possible to identify closer and more distant biological relatedness between populations of remote regions.

Funding of the project:

• The eastern relationships of the ancestors of the House of Árpád, Árpád dynasty program (ÁHP VI/2)
• Our Eastern Heritage PPCUInterdisciplinary Historical and Archaeological Research Group (TUDFO/51757-1/2019/ITM) programme "Archaeological, linguistic and bioarchaeological research on early Hungarian history"
• Our Eastern Heritage PPKE Interdisciplinary Historical and Archaeological Research Group project (TKP2020-NKA-11)
• Archaeogenomic research of the Etelköz region, Priority Research Theme proposal of the Eötvös Loránd Research Network

Partner institutions:

• Institute of Archaeological Sciences, PPCU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Harvard Medical School

Publications of the research results:

• Bea Szeifert, Veronika Csáky, Balázs Stégmár, Dániel Gerber, Balázs Egyed, S. G. Botalov, R. D Goldina., Danich, A. V., Attila Türk, Balázs G. Mende, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Maternal genetic composition of early medieval (6th-10th centuries AD) populations lived in the Cis- and Trans-Ural and Volga-Kama Regions. Arkheologiya Evropeiskikh stepei : 6 pp. 202-221. (2018)
• Veronika Csáky, Dániel Gerber, Bea Szeifert, Attila Türk, Balázs G. Mende, Tivadar Vida, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Eastern genetic connections of two nomadic populations in the early medieval Carpathian Basin - IV международного конгресса археологии евразийских степей КОЧЕВЫЕ ИМПЕРИИ ЕВРАЗИИ В СВЕТЕ АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ И МЕЖДИСЦИПЛИНАРНЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ, ПОСВЯЩЕННОГО 100-ЛЕТИЮ РОССИЙСКОЙ АКАДЕМИЧЕСКОЙ АРХЕОЛОГИИ г. Улан-Удэ, 16–21 сентября 2019 г. Nomadic Empires in Eurasia in Archaeological and Interdisciplinary studies. 16-21. September 2019, Ulan-Ude. pp. 175-179. ISBN 978-5-7925-0567-4
• Szeifert Bea, Csáky Veronika, Gerber Dániel, Egyed Balázs, Stégmár Balázs, Türk Attila, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  Korai magyarsággal kapcsolatba hozható oroszországi lelőhelyek csontanyagának archeogenetikai vizsgálata. Hadak útján. A népvándorláskor fiatal kutatóinak XXIX. konferenciája. Budapest, 2019. november 15–16. (29th Conference of young scholars on the Migration Period. November 15‒16, 2019, Budapest). Absztraktkötet. Szerk.: Sudár B. ‒ Türk A. Studia ad Archaeologiam Pazmaniensia 14. ‒‒ Magyar Őstörténeti Témacsoport Kiadványok 7. Budapest 2019. pp. 100-103. ISBN 978-963-9987-57-9
• Bea Szeifert, Dániel Gerber, Balázs Egyed, Ayrat G. Sitdikov, Ilgizar R. Gazimzyanov, Elizaveta V. Volkova, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Attila Türk, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Bioarchaeological analysis of Bolshie Tigani cemetery in context of Hungarians’ early history – In:  Халиков, А.Х.: Великая Венгрия между Волгой и Уралом. Oтв. ред.: Ситдиков, А.Г. Археология евразийских степей 27. Казань 2022, 132–141. ISBN 978-5-6049094-1-6
• Bea Szeifert, Dániel Gerber, Veronika Csáky, Péter Langó, Dmitrii A. Stashenkov, Aleksandr A. Khokhlov,  Ayrat G. Sitdikov, Ilgizar R. Gazimzyanov, Elizaveta V. Volkova, Natalia P. Matveeva, Alexander S. Zelenkov, Olga E. Poshekhonova, Anastasiia V. Sleptsova, Konstantin G. Karacharov, Viktoria V. Ilyushina, Boris A. Konikov, Flarit A. Sungatov, Aleksander G. Kolonskikh, Sergei G. Botalov, Ivan V. Grudochko, Oleksii Komar, Balázs Egyed, Balázs G. Mende, Attila Türk, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Tracing genetic connections of ancient Hungarians to the 6th–14th century populations of the Volga-Ural region, Human Molecular Genetics, 2022; ddac106, https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddac106
• Szeifert, B., Türk, A., Gerber, D., Csáky, V., Langó, P., Sztashenkov, D. A., Botalov, S. G., Szitgyikov, A. G., Zelenkov, A. S., Mende, B. G., Szécsényi-Nagy, A.:
  A korai magyar történelem régészeti és archeogenetikai kutatásának legfrissebb eredményei Nyugat-Szibériától a Középső-Volga vidékig (English abstract: Archaeological and genetic data from the Early Medieval cemeteries
  of the Volga and Ural region). Archaeologiai Értesítő 2023, 147, 1, 33-74. https://doi.org/10.1556/0208.2022.00031
• Szeifert Bea, Csáky Veronika, Gerber Dániel, Egyed Balázs, Stégmár Balázs, Türk Attila, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  Betekintés az Urál és a Volga-Káma vidék genetikai összetételébe a korai magyarsággal kapcsolatba hozható lelőhelyek emberi csontanyagának archeogenetikai vizsgálatával (English abstract: Insights into the Genetic Makeup of Ural and Volga-Káma Region by the Archaeogenetic Analyses of Burials Connected to Early Hungarians).  In Hadak útján - A népvándorláskor fiatal kutatóinak XXIX. konferenciája, Budapest, 2019. november 15-16., 2023. kiad., 4:97–112. Budapest: Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont, Magyar Őstörténeti Kutatócsoport; Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem, Régészettudományi Intézet; Martin Opitz Kiadó. https://doi.org/10.55722/Arpad.Kiad.2023.4.2_05
• Bea Szeifert, Balázs Gyuris, Dániel Gerber, Nikolaj Telnov, Vitalij Sinika, Oleksii Komar, Attila Türk, Balázs Mende, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Bioarchaeological study of medieval populations between the Dnieper and Dniester Valleys – 28th EAA Annual Meeting, Budapest, Hungary, 2022.08.31–09.03.
• Gyuris Balázs, Szeifert Bea, Gerber Dániel, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Türk Attila, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  A középkori Volga-Káma és Dél-Urál vidékek lakosságának genetikai összetétele, és lenyomata a mai baskír népességben (különös tekintettel a csijaliki kultúra népességére) – FUROR NORMANNORUM II: Kelet-Európa szekció: Baskírok és magyarok ‒ találkozások és elválások, Interdisciplinary online scientific conference organosed by the Institute of Archaeology at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, 22‒23 September, 2022.
• Balázs Gyuris, Leonid Vyazov, Bea Szeifert, Pavel Flegontov, Balázs Mende, Swapan Mallick, Harald Ringbauer, Attila Türk, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, David Reich:
  Genetic continuity in the Volga-Ural region from the post-Iron Age era – EMBO/EMBL Symposium “Reconstructing the Human Past” Heidelberg, Germany, 13–16 September, 2022.
• Gyuris Balázs, Leonid Vyazov, Szeifert Bea, Pavel Flegontov, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Swapan Mallick, Türk Attila, David Reich, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  Volga-Urál vidék genetikai története a legújabb populációgenetikai eredmények tükrében. XXII. “Genetikai Műhelyek Magyarországon” Minikonferencia, 2023. szeptember 15.
• Szeifert, B., Türk, A., Gerber, D., Csáky, V., Langó, P., Sztashenkov, D. A., Botalov, S. G., Szitgyikov, A. G., Zelenkov, A. S., Mende, B. G., and Szécsényi-Nagy, A.:
  A korai magyar történelem régészeti és archeogenetikai kutatásának legfrissebb eredményei Nyugat-Szibériától a Középső-Volga vidékig (English abstract: Archaeological and genetic data from the Early Medieval cemeteries of the Volga and Ural region). Archaeologiai Értesítő 147, 1 (2023) 33-74. https://doi.org/10.1556/0208.2022.00031
• Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Balázs Gyuris, Leonid Vyazov, Pavel Flegontov, Yusuf Can Özdemir, Bea Szeifert, Attila Türk, David Reich:
  Genomic Investigations of the Early Medieval Southern Urals: Synthesis and Future Perspectives. EMBO-EMBL Symposium: Reconstructing Human Past 17–20 September, 2024, Heidelberg
• Bea Szeifert, Dániel Gerber, Veronika Csáky, Balázs Gyuris, Kristóf Jakab, Béla Szőke,  Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Vitalij Sinika, Attila Türk, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Genetic Makeup and Change in the Mediaeval Communities of the Carpathian Basin. EAA AM  2024, Rome, 27–31 August 2024.
• Szeifert Bea, Gerber Dániel, Csáky Veronika, Gyuris Balázs, Jakab Kristóf, Szőke Béla Miklós, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Türk Attila, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  Csak a változás állandó? Genetikai adatok a középkori Kárpát-medence lakosságának összetételéről.  Genetikai Műhelyek Magyarországon. HUN-REN Szegedi Biológiai Kutatóközpont, 2024.09.06.
• Dániel Gerber, Veronika Csáky, Bea Szeifert, Noémi Borbély, Kristóf Jakab, György Mező, Zsolt Petkes, Frigyes Szücsi, Sándor Évinger, Csilla Líbor, Piroska Rácz, Krisztián Kiss, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Béla Miklós Szőke, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Ancient genomes reveal Avar-Hungarian transformations in the 9th-10th centuries CE Carpathian Basin. Sci. Adv. 10, eadq5864 (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq5864
• Dániel Gerber, Veronika Csáky, Bea Szeifert, Noémi Borbély, Kristóf Jakab, György Mező, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Béla Miklós Szőke, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Novel bioinformatic approaches reveal population transformations during the second half of the first millennium CE in the Carpathian Basin. 'Hungarian Molecular Life Sciences 2025' conference, 28–30 March 2025, Eger

 

Archaeogenetic and Anthropological Research of Burials at the Benedictine Monastery of Monostorapáti-Almád

Planned timeframe of the project: 2022–2024
Project leader: Balázs Gusztáv Mende (HUN-REN Faculty of Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics)
Host institute: HUN-REN Institute for Humanities Research, Institute of Archaeogenomics
Participating researchers of the project:

• Noémi Borbély, Bea Szeifert (HUN-REN Faculty of Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics)
• István Major (HUN-REN Institute of Nuclear Research)

The Benedictine monastery of Monostorapáti-Almád was founded at the beginning of the 12th century by the Atyusz lineage, traceable back to the time of the Hungarian conquest. The archaeognomic and anthropological investigations of the anthropological material uncovered during the 2021-2023 excavation of the monastery ruins will be carried out in the third phase of the Kings, Saints and Monasteries project.

The aim of the research is to determine the relationships between the remains using archaeogenomic methods, alongside the traditional morphometric analysis of the bones and the absolute chronological classification of individual graves using the radiocarbon method. According to the working hypothesis of the research, after its foundation in 1121, prominent members of the lineage, which branched into several branches from the 13th century onwards, were buried here. This is supported by the authenticated transcript of the founding document of Almád from the time of Sigismund. Several burials are identified by name in the documentary sources, including Atyusz, the founder of the monastery, his brother Miske, their father Bánd, and Gyönyörű, Atyusz's stepmother.

 

Archaeogenetic and anthropological research of the Paty Malom-dűlő site’s population (10th century AD)

Planned project timeframe: 2022–2024
Project leaders: Tamás Hajdu (Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University), Balázs Gusztáv Mende (Institute of Archaeogenomics, HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities), 
Institute hosting the subproject genetics: Institute of Archaeogenomics, HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities
Researchers participating in the project:

• Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Bea Szeifert, Kristóf Jakab (Institute of Archaeogenomics, HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities)
• Tamás Szeniczey (Department of Biological Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University)
• Dániel Giedl, András Rajna (Ferenczy Museum Center)
• Anikó Horváth, István Major (HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research)
• Norbert Berta, Zoltán Farkas, Péter Major (Salisbury Kft.)

In 2022, a 10th-century cemetery with 77 graves and another with 15 graves were excavated at the Páty Malom-dűlő archaeological site in the close proximity of each other in cooperation with the Ferenczy Museum Center and Salisbury Kft. Due to the richness and uniqueness of the burial finds, as well as the historical importance of the region, it has come to the forefront of the archaeological research of the conquest period, consequently becoming central to archaeogenomic studies as well.
The research aims at a multidisciplinary evaluation of cemeteries, characterisation of the population using cemeteries in Páty, reconstruction of the inter- and intra-cemetery relations.
The analysis of the archaeological material is carried out by the Ferenczy Museum Centre and Salisbury Kft., while the classical paleoanthropological analysis of the human remains is performed by the Department of Biological Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University. Laboratory processing and whole genome analysis of suitable samples is carried out at the Institute of Archaeogenomics, HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities, and analysis of stable isotopes at the HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research in Debrecen.

Interdisciplinary research on Migration Period horses

Planned time frame of the project: 2022–2026
Intended sample size: 150 horse bone samples
Principal Investigator: Anna Szécsényi-Nagy (IAG RCH HUN-REN)
Participating researchers:

• Péter Csippán (Institute of Archaeology, Eötvös Loránd University), Annamária Bárány (MNM) archaeozoologists
• István Koncz (Institute of Archaeology, Eötvös Loránd University), Ádám Bollók (IA RCH HUN-REN) archaeologists
• Dániel Gerber, Kornél Herpai (IAG RCH HUN-REN) bioinformaticians

The aim of the project is to study the relationship between horses and humans in the early medieval Carpathian Basin, with special focus on the Avar Period. In the framework of the project, we sample 4-8th century BC horses from the Carpathian Basin, both in the western Transdanubia and in the eastern Great Hungarian Plain. This sampling strategy provides an opportunity to determine the basal horse population in both the former Roman Empire and neighboring areas under the barbarian rule. In a such way, the further development of horse herds in the two regions becomes comparable to the later periods. The horse population in the Carpathian Basin may have been expanded by several waves from external sources. For detailed observations, we pay special attention not only to cemeteries but also to finds from settlements to see if there are differences in pedigree, genetics, and morphology between equidae used and kept differently. The question is whether a new horse population can be detected in the Carpathian Basin during the period under study (especially during the Avar period), and whether the diversity of the studied horses shows a regional or cultural structure.

Combining the results of the archaeozoological and genetic studies of the horses with the data of archeology and historical sources, the team explores the horses’ breeding, distribution, trade and usage. A key question in the Avar era was whether horses appeared from the same source region in the Carpathian Basin as the different nomadic communities from great distances. Although various partial (including symbolic manifestations) or whole horse burials have been highlighted in archaeological research among animal burials and even among burial customs in general, our knowledge of the age, sex, and physical condition of animals has been incomplete. Through these archaeozoological and paleogenomic studies, we can get further answers about the relationships between horses and humans, as well as about the importance and role of the horse as a representative element in the early Medieval era.

Aim of the project is the comparative analysis of cemeteries and graves included in the ERC Synergy HistoGenes project or in other previous human genomic studies (Amorim et al. 2018, Gnecchi-Ruscone et al. 2021). Thus, not only the horses are in focus, but also the “horse and its rider” associated with previous and ongoing human genetic analyses.

Our team combines skeletal and morphological observations with genetics (the possibilities of the whole genome analyses are constantly evolving), as we can now even study variants of genes that are responsible for coat color, spinal stability (weight bearing, persistent running) or for the temperament of horses (associated with stress tolerance) (Librado et al. 2021).

The team analyzes approximately 150 samples. The result and its interpretability depends on the diversity or homogeneity of the genetic picture of the horse population in the 4-6th centuries, and how successfully the team will manage to retain the DNA from each sample included in the analysis. The answer to these is not even known from an archaeozoological point of view, so the team is about to begin an exploratory type of research.

Publications of the research results:

• Szécsényi-Nagy, Anna; Koncz, István; Csippán, Péter; Bollók, Ádám; Gerber, Dániel; Mende, Balázs:
  The Diversity Of Late Antique Period And Early Medieval Horses In The Carpathian Basin: Introduction To An Integrative Research Project – 28th EAA Annual Meeting, Budapest, Hungary, 31 August – 3 September 2022

 

Metagenomic and palaeopathological studies

Participating researchers: Dániel Gerber, Melinda Megyes, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Botond Heltai, Balázs Gusztáv Mende (IAG RCH HUN-REN), Viktória Kiss (IA RCH HUN-REN), Erika Molnár (Department of Anthropology, SZTE)

Due to the rapid development of archaeogenomic methodology, previously unimaginable experiments can now be performed. Genetic material of microorganisms, such as bacteria, DNA-viruses and single-cell parasites can be preserved within the remnant tissues of host organisms, and even within - classically considered to be - inorganic materials, like dental calculus and soil. We aimed to open new horizons for our institute by acquiring current techniques and maybe even for the international community by developing novel methods. We primarily focus on the oral microbiome via sampling dental calculus, as well as to pathogens via sampling dentine and bony scar tissue, concerning various periods (prehistory, Roman era). The multithreaded projects are funded by Momentum projects of Viktória Kiss and Anna Szécsényi-Nagy.

 

Archaeogenetic investigation of the Northern Altai in the 4–14th centuries

Duration of the project: 2022–2024
Project Coordination: Anna Szécsényi-Nagy (IAG RCH)
Partner institutes of the project: Institute of Archaeology at HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities, Department of Biological Anthropology at Eötvös Loránd University, Altai State University
Participants of the project:

• Yusuf Can Özdemir (IAG HUN-REN RCH, ELTE),  Balázs Gusztáv Mende (IAG HUN-REN RCH), Balázs Gyuris (IAG HUN-REN RCH, ELTE)
• Alexey Tishkin, Nikolai Seregin (ASU)
• Tamás Szeniczey (ELTE)
• Gergely Csiky (RI RCH)
  
  

The Altai region acts as a crossroads between the Eastern and Central Steppes of Asia, and it has an important role in the legends of the peoples of the region. To this day, the population movements in Central Asia prior to the Mongol Empire expansion have mostly been evaluated without genetic records other than minimal sampling.
The main goal of this research project is to shed light on the complex genetic histories of the Medieval groups who are traditionally affiliated to nomadic and semi-nomadic lifestyles, and their possible connections to the modern communities in the Altai region. By acquiring genetic data of approximately 90 ancient individuals from various burial sites including single and clustering burials, we aim to create a better understanding of migration and admixing events as well as the customs and social practices of the groups these individuals belonged. We include archaeological and historical data to the research to a greater extent, creating a comparative approach.

Publications of the research results:

• Yusuf Can Özdemir, Tamás Szeniczey, Gergely Csiky, Alexey Tishkin, Balázs Mende, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Understanding the Genetic History of Medieval Period Altai Region Through DNA – Annual Meeting of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 2022.12.01.
• Yusuf can Özdemir, Balázs Gyuris, Kristóf Jakab, Gergely Csiky, Tamás Szeniczey, Balázs G. Mende, Alexey Tishkin, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Genetic history of the Altai Population 4th–14th centuries. 10th Meeting of the International Society for Biomolecular Archaeology (ISBA), 13th–16th September 2023, Tartu, Estonia
• Yusuf Can Özdemir, Balázs Gyuris, Nikolai Seregin, Kristóf Jakab, Botond Heltai, Melinda Megyes, Balázs G. Mende, Vadim V. Gorbunov, Sergey Grushin, Petr K. Dashkovskiy, Mikhail A. Demin, Kirill Yu. Kiryushin, Yury T. Mamadakov, Nadezhda F. Stepanova, Attila Türk, Tamás Szeniczey, Svetlana S. Tur, Alexey V. Fribus, Alexey A. Tishkin, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Genetic History of the Altai Region Across the 4th-12th Centuries CE. Migrations and Archaeology in Eurasia. 7–8 October, 2024, Collége de France, Paris
• Yusuf Can Özdemir, Balázs Gyuris, Nikolai Seregin, Kristóf Jakab, Botond Heltai, Melinda Megyes, Balázs G. Mende, Vadim V. Gorbunov, Sergey Grushin, Petr K. Dashkovskiy, Mikhail A. Demin, Kirill Yu. Kiryushin, Yury T. Mamadakov, Nadezhda F. Stepanova, Attila Türk, Tamás Szeniczey, Svetlana S. Tur, Alexey V. Fribus, Alexey A. Tishkin, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Genetic History of the Altai Region Across the 4th-12th Centuries CE. ATES Workshop, HUN-REN RCH, 2024.04.12.
•  Yusuf Can Özdemir:
  Genetic History Of The Altai Population in the 4th–12th Centuries. 'ANTROPOLOJİ VE ANTİK DNA' conference, İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Kurul Odası, Istanbul, Turkey, 16–17 October, 2025.

 

Genetic analysis of Copper Age communities

Source of the image: https://lendulet-innovacio.hu/en/

Our team joined the research group of Zsuzsanna Siklósi ’MTA-ELTE Lendület Innovation Research Group’. The program, which will run from 2022-2027, is entitled "Individuals and communities, social networks and innovations in the Carpathian Basin in the Bronze Age" (https://lendulet-innovacio.hu/en/).
In the interdisciplinary research group, our task is to genetically completely process specific cemeteries of the Copper Age, if possible, and to explore the systems of inter- and outward genetic relationships of the community members. This is performed by identity by descent (IBD) chromosome segment sharing analyses at the whole genome level.

Project timeframe: 2022-2027,
Planned number of samples: ca. 100 human samples
Project leader: Zsuzsanna Siklósi (ELTE BTK)
Researchers involved in the project at the Institute: Dániel Gerber, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Kristóf Jakab (BTK AGI)

Publications of the research results:

• Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Péter Csippán, Norbert Faragó, Zsuzsa Hegedűs, Eszter Solnay, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Márton Szilágyi, Anna Zafeiris:
  Individuals and communities, social networks and innovations in the Copper Age of the Carpathian Basin. Interdisciplinarity in Archaeology. UISPP 2023 Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara, Timisoara, Romania 
• Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Alexandra Anders, Pál Raczky, Cristian Virag, Tamás Hajdu, Tamás Szeniczey, Ron Pinhasi, David Reich, Zsuzsanna Siklósi:
  New Genomic Data Illuminate Community Organization and Mobility in the Late Neolithic and Early Copper Age Carpathian Basin. EAA AM  2024, Rome, 27–31 August 2024.
• Siklósi Zsuzsanna, Cristian Virag, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna, Hajdu Tamás, Szeniczey Tamás, Ron Pinhasi, David Reich:
  Kora rézkori temetők közösségeinek változatossága a Kárpát-medence keleti felén. MOMOSZ, Baja, 2024.06.26–28.
• Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Cristian Virag, Kristóf Jakab, Nadin Rohland, Harald Ringbauer, Alexandra Anders, Pál Raczky, Tamás Hajdu, Krisztián Kiss, Tamás Szeniczey, Sándor Évinger, Tamás Keszi, Zsuzsanna M. Virág, Olivia Cheronet, Swapan Mallick, Ali Akbari, Ron Pinhasi, David Reich & Zsuzsanna Siklósi:
  Ancient DNA reveals diverse community organizations in the 5th millennium BCE Carpathian Basin. Nature Communications 16, 5318 (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60368-2

ERC HistoGenes: European Research Council, Synergy Grant Integrating Genetic, Archaeological and Historical Perspectives on Eastern Central Europe, 400-900 AD 

Project code: HistoGenes 856453

The timeframe of the project: 2020–2026

The aim of the project “Integrating genetic, archaeological and historical perspectives on Eastern Central Europe, 400–900 AD (HistoGenes)” supported by one of the most prestigious research grants (Synergy Grant) of the European Research Council (ERC) is to gain a deeper understanding of the history of population in Eastern Central Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, in the period of large-scale migrations and early medieval political and cultural changes. One of the principal investigators of this international project is Tivadar Vida, director of the Institute of Archaeological Studies at Eötvös Loránd University.

The IAG RCH is a beneficiary partner in the program, where the project is led by Balázs G. Mende and Anna Szécsényi-Nagy. Participants of the project: Balázs Gyuris, Viktória Bódis, Sára Gábriel, Daniella Pokker, Viktória Oravecz, Koppány Kerestély, Botond Heltai, Melinda Megyes, Yusuf Can Özdemir, Anikó Kecskés.

It is a significant success for Hungarian archaeology archaeogenetics anthropology, and history to launch and work in such an ambitious six-year programme within the framework of international collaboration, which obtained €10 million funding for the integrative research of the Late Antique and early medieval population of Eastern Central Europe, combining palaeogenetic, archaeological, anthropological, and historical approaches. Researchers at the Institute of Archaeological Studies, Eötvös Loránd University and the Institute of Archaeogenomics of the Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd Research Network play a vital role in this international programme implemented through cooperation among Austrian, German, American, and Hungarian scholars. Researchers at the Hungarian National Museum, the University of Szeged, and the Museum of Natural Sciences will also take part in the work in Hungary.

Webpage of the project:
home | HistoGenes

Publications of the research results:

• Gyuris, Balázs; Vida, Tivadar; Hajnal, Zsuzsanna; Szeniczey, Tamás; Rácz, Zsófia; Mende, Balázs G.; Hofmanová, Zuzana; Knipper, Corina; Krause, Johannes; Szécsényi-Nagy, Anna:
  Comparative analyses of sociocultural changes and genetic transitions in the avar period Southern-Transdanubia – 28th EAA Annual Meeting, Budapest, Hungary, 2022.08.31–09.03.
• Balázs Gyuris, Zsuzsanna Hajnal, Tamás Szeniczey, Corina Knipper, István Koncz, Levente Samu, Zsófia Rácz, Balázs G. Mende, Zuzana Hofmanová, Rita Radzeviciute, Tivadar Vida, Johannes Krause, Walter Pohl, Patrick J. Geary, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Zooming in on the Avar period site Kölked-Feketekapu B: Comparative analyses of genetic transitions and bioarchaeological evidence – ERC HistoGenes Plenary Meeting, Budapest, Hungary, 2022.10.18–21.
• Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, István Koncz, Gergely Csiky, Zsófia Rácz, A. B. Rohrlach, Guido Brandt, Nadin Rohland, Veronika Csáky, Olivia Cheronet, Bea Szeifert, Tibor Ákos Rácz, András Benedek, Zsolt Bernert, Norbert Berta, Szabolcs Czifra, János Dani, Zoltán Farkas, Tamara Hága, Tamás Hajdu, Mónika Jászberényi, Viktória Kisjuhász, Barbara Kolozsi, Péter Major, Antónia Marcsik, Bernadett Ny. Kovacsóczy, Csilla Balogh, Gabriella M.Lezsák, János Gábor Ódor, Márta Szelekovszky, Tamás Szeniczey, Judit Tárnoki, Zoltán Tóth, Eszter K. Tutkovics, Balázs G. Mende, Patrick Geary, Walter Pohl, Tivadar Vida, Ron Pinhasi, David Reich, Zuzana Hofmanová, Choongwon Jeong, Johannes Krause:
  Ancient genomes reveal origin and rapid trans-Eurasian migration of 7th century Avar elites. Cell (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.007
• Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  Genetikai adatok a történelem egyik leggyorsabb vándorlásához, előadás, Budapest Science Meetup, 2022. április 21.
• Balázs Gyuris, Zsuzsanna Hajnal: Comparative genetic analysis of the Early Medieval Kölked-Feketekapu site, Plenary meeting of the HistoGenes ERC project, 9–12 October 2023, Leipzig, Max-Planck-Institut for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA)
• Herpai Kornél, Heltai Botond, Bárány Annamária, Csippán Péter, Koncz István, Bollók Ádám, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna, Gerber Dániel:
  A Kárpát-medence kora középkori lóállományának populációgenetikai vizsgálata, XXII. “Genetikai Műhelyek Magyarországon” Minikonferencia, 15 September 2023.
• Deven N. Vyas, István Koncz, Alessandra Modi, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Yijie Tian, Paolo Francalacci, Martina Lari, Stefania Vai, Péter Straub, Zsolt Gallina, Tamás Szeniczey, Tamás Hajdu, Rita Radzevičiūtė, Zuzana Hofmanová, Sándor Évinger, Zsolt Bernert, Walter Pohl, David Caramelli, Tivadar Vida, Patrick J. Geary, Krishna R. Veeramah:
  Fine-scale sampling uncovers the complexity of migrations in 5th–6th century Pannonia, Current Biology (2023), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.063
• Balázs Gyuris, Zsuzsanna Hajnal, Tamás Szeniczey, Kristóf Jakab, István Koncz, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Johannes Krause, Zsófia Rácz, Tivadar Vida,  Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Unveiling the Social and Genetic Landscapes Of The Avar Period Southern-Transdanubia: A Multidisciplinary Study of the Kölked Feketekapu Cemetery. EAA AM  2024, Rome, 27–31 August 2024.
• Yusuf Can Özdemir, Balázs Gyuris, Kristóf Jakab, Botond Heltai, Melinda Megyes, Adrienn Blay, István Koncz, Zsófia Rácz, Michal Holešcák, Levente Samu, Tivadar Vida, Johannes Krause, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Comparative Genetic and Archaeological Data Sheds Light on a High-Ranking Avar Period Group. EMBO-EMBL Symposium: Reconstructing Human Past, 17–20 September 2024, Heidelberg
• Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, Zsófia Rácz, Levente Samu, Tamás Szeniczey, Norbert Faragó, Corina Knipper, Ronny Friedrich, Denisa Zlámalová, Luca Traverso, Salvatore Liccardo, Sandra Wabnitz, Divyaratan Popli, Ke Wang, Rita Radzeviciute, Bence Gulyás, István Koncz, Csilla Balogh, Gabriella M. Lezsák, Viktor Mácsai, Magdalena M. E. Bunbury, Olga Spekker, Petrus le Roux, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Heidi Colleran, Tamás Hajdu, Patrick Geary, Walter Pohl, Tivadar Vida, Johannes Krause & Zuzana Hofmanová:
  Network of Large Pedigrees Reveals Social Practices of Avar Communities. Nature 629, 376–383 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07312-4
• Szécsényi-Nagy Anna, Szeifert Bea:
  Archeogenetikai eredmények az avar kori kutatásokban. Kecskeméti Katona József Múzeum. Exhibition catalogue 2024, pp: 31-37 ISBN: 978-963-9815-76-6
• Balázs Gyuris, Zsuzsanna Hajnal, Tamás Szeniczey, Norbert Faragó, Zsófia Rácz, István Koncz, Levente Samu, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Tivadar Vida, and Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Unveiling Childhood Through Bioarchaeology in the Avar Period Carpathian Basin: Kinship, Mobility, and Social Insights. "Child Space: Narratives and New Perspectives on the Bioarchaeology of Children and Their Biosocial Complexity" conference, Budapest, Hungary, 4–6 June 2025
• Balázs Gyuris, Zsuzsanna Hajnal, Tamás Szeniczey, Norbert Faragó, Corina Knipper, Zsófia Rácz, István Koncz, Levente Samu, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Tivadar Vida, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Social Relations in Avar-Period Southern Transdanubia: Multidisciplinary Insights from the Kölked-Feketekapu Cemetery. Oral presentation, 11th International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology (ISBA), 26–29 August 2025, Turin, Italy
• Yusuf Can Özdemir, Zsófia Rácz, Levente Samu, Kristóf Jakab, Csaba Szalontai, Olga Spekker, Ágota Madai, Alena Šefčáková, Matej Ruttkay, Tivadar Vida, Johannes Krause, Balázs G. Mende, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Genetic Data from High-ranking Middle-Late Avar Period Communities Reveal Multiple Origins. Poster presentation, 11th International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology (ISBA), 26–29 August 2025, Turin, Italy
• Dániel Gerber, Botond Heltai, Melinda Megyes, Tivadar Vida, István Koncz, Levente Samu, Ádám Bollók, Péter Csippán, Annamária Bárány, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Pablo Librado, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:
  Genomic Composition of Migration Period Horses in the Carpathian Basin. Poster presentation, 11th International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology (ISBA), 26–29 August 2025, Turin, Italy
• Gyuris Balázs, Hajnal Zsuzsanna, Szeniczey Tamás, Faragó Norbert, Rácz Zsófia, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Vida Tivadar, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  Az avar kor társadalmi viszonyai a Kölked-Feketekapu temető genetikai eredményeinek tükrében: mit árulnak el számunkra a családfák? Oral presentation, XXIV. "Genetikai Műhelyek Magyarországon" miniconference, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, 12th September 2025.
• Borbély Noémi, Dobos Alpár, Gál Szilárd Sándor, Rácz Zsófia, Szenthe Gergely, Gáll Erwin, Nagy Szabolcs, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Vida Tivadar, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  Genetikai adatok a kora középkori Erdély népességtörténetéhez (4–8. század). Poster presentation, XXIV. "Genetikai Műhelyek Magyarországon" miniconference, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, 12th September 2025.
• Gerber Dániel, Heltai Botond, Megyes Melinda, Borbély Noémi, Vida Tivadar, Koncz István, Samu Levente, Bollók Ádám, Csippán Péter, Bárány Annamária, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Szécsényi-Nagy Anna:
  A Kr. u. első évezred lóállományának archeogenomikai vizsgálata Kárpát-medencében. Poster presentation, XXIV. "Genetikai Műhelyek Magyarországon" miniconference, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, 12th September 2025.

   

What happened to the Avars?

With the aid of the Szilágyi Family Foundation, we launched this project in 2018.
We concentrate on the following research questions:
What is the difference in the genetic composition of the late Avar populations and the 10-11th century population of the North Transdanubian region?
Is the late Avar continuity demonstrable, and if yes, in what form?
If any, was there rather maternal or paternal genetic continuity in North Transdanubia?

Participants of this project: Bea Szeifert (IAG RCH, ELTE), Balázs G. Mende (IAG RCH), Péter Tomka, Szabina Merva (IAG RCH)