PHOTOS: 1,300-year-old, undisturbed Avar warriors found in Hungary

Archaeologists found the graves of multiple Avar warriors buried with their weapons and decorated buckles in a sensational discovery in Hungary. The speciality of the finding is that most burial sites were not robbed. Experts hope the Belgrade-Budapest railway development project may result in further discoveries along the line.

A megaproject from Chinese loan

Hungary is renewing the Budapest-Belgrade railway line with the help of a gigantic Chinese loan. The project’s cost reaches HUF 700 billion (EUR 1.8 billion), making it the biggest-ever railway development project in Hungary’s railway history. 85 percent of that money is financed by a Chinese loan. Because of this, Hungary’s Western allies are outraged but they can do nothing. Critics say the railway line will never earn back the investment, and it only helps Chinese goods flow to the European markets.

Anyway, the project needs archaeological research since the new and the renewed old railway lines go through territories known to historians as burial sites or cemeteries. However, sometimes they make brand-new discoveries and find valuable sites. That is what happened near Kelebia.

Magyar Építők shared an on-field report about that and other ongoing archaeological projects. They said V-Híd Zrt., a subcontractor of the development megaproject, is committed to finding and preserving natural and historic values.

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Undisturbed Avar warriors found

They work with the Katona József Múzeum in Kecskemét and are working on a site near Kelebia spanning several epochs. The site contains prehistoric, Sarmata and Avar artefacts. Kornél Sóskuti, a researcher of the Hungarian National Museum coordinating the excavations in the Southern section of the development project, told Magyar Építők that they carry out test excavations in areas where documents suggest they may find something which would be harmed or destroyed when the groundwork starts.

For example, close to Kelebia, they surprisingly found an Avar-age cemetery. It was used in the 700s and 800s and there are dozens of graves. Some of them were found by robbers, but not all. Despite that, they found artefacts in almost all of the graves.

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Furthermore, in some of the graves, they found undisturbed warriors and other people with their weaponry, jewels, earrings, necklaces, buckles, ceramics, and even food and drink remains. Moreover, other graves are from the Sarmata era and the Middle Ages. The relevant excavations are still in progress.

Mr Sóskuti said they expected to find even more in the area because preliminary analysis results are promising. HERE you may find some photos of the graves and the Avar warriors buried there.

Thanks to the railway development project, the speed limit for trains will jump to 160 km/h on a 150-km-long segment.

Featured image: illustration

Source: Magyar Építők