Sensational discovery: Remains of brutally murdered Hungarian prince identified
An international research team led by Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) has successfully identified the remains of Béla of Macsó, a prince from the Árpád dynasty who was brutally murdered on Margaret Island in 1272. The discovery resolves a historical and archaeological mystery that has endured for more than a century, offering unprecedented insight into the prince’s life, lineage, and the circumstances of his death.
A 13th-century political assassination
Prince Béla was the grandson of King Béla IV and Maria Laskarina, who descended from the Byzantine imperial family. The young prince played an important role in Hungary’s political struggles during the latter half of the 13th century. However, in November 1272, under the pretext of attending a council meeting on Margaret Island, he was lured into a deadly trap by Henrik Kőszegi and his allies.
According to contemporary chronicles, the attackers mercilessly slaughtered the unarmed prince, ELTE wrote in its summary of the study. Following the tragedy, his body was gathered by his sister, Margaret, and his niece, Elizabeth, who laid him to rest in the sacristy of the Dominican monastery on Margaret Island.
A century-old find comes to life again
During the 1915 excavation of the monastery, archaeologists unearthed the remains of a young man believed to have met a violent death. Even at the time, experts suspected the bones could belong to the murdered Prince Béla, though absolute confirmation only came now, more than a century later.
The bones were thought to have been lost during World War I, until they resurfaced in 2018 within the collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, while the skull was found at ELTE’s Department of Anthropology. This discovery prompted the launch of an international research project led by Dr Tamás Hajdu, which has since produced world-class scientific results.
Science provides the answers: genetics, anthropology, and history united
The research involved radiocarbon dating, isotopic analysis, dental calculus examination, and genetic identification. The results revealed that the man was in his early twenties and consumed a protein-rich diet typical of medieval aristocracy. Microscopic remains found in his dental plaque suggest he ate foods made from wheat and barley, such as cooked grains and baked bread.
Strontium isotope analysis indicated that the prince likely spent his childhood in the historic region of Macsó — now part of modern-day Croatia and Serbia — before later moving to the area around present-day Budapest.
Genetic tests confirmed that the skeleton indeed belonged to a grandson of King Béla IV and, on his paternal line, was a descendant of the Rurik dynasty of Scandinavian origin. With this, Béla of Macsó becomes the first Árpád dynasty descendant identified through genetic evidence since King Béla III.
A brutal attack by three assassins
The skeletal remains revealed 26 fatal injuries, including nine on the skull. Based on the location and nature of these wounds, researchers reconstructed a coordinated attack by three assailants. The prince was struck simultaneously from two sides with sabres and longswords; once he fell to the ground, further blows were delivered to his head and face.
The sheer brutality of the attack suggests that the killers were not merely carrying out an order: the level of violence implies strong personal hatred or rage.
Solving a historical mystery
The results of the study were published in the international journal Forensic Science International: Genetics (available for free until 25 December 2025 on this link). ELTE’s researchers have not only revealed the full story of a medieval political assassination in remarkable detail but also demonstrated that modern science can solve even centuries-old historical mysteries.