A series of medieval graves, pottery fragments and building rubble has helped archaeologists pinpoint the location of Nyénye, a long-lost Hungarian settlement known from historical records but whose precise location had remained uncertain.
Archaeologists from the Damjanich János Museum identified traces of the medieval settlement on the southern outskirts of Szandaszőlős, near Szolnok in Hungary.
What began as a trial excavation of what researchers expected to be a relatively scattered archaeological site developed into evidence of a former village, its cemetery and the probable location of its church.
The work was commissioned by Hungary’s National Archaeological Institute and involved four exploratory trenches.
Large quantities of pottery found on the surface provided the first indication that a settlement dating to the 15th and 16th centuries lay beneath the area. Subsequent excavation brought several ditches and pits to light, confirming that archaeologists were working within the remains of a now-vanished medieval village.
The investigation took an important turn when archaeologists encountered several graves in one of the trenches.
Márk Ádám, the archaeologist leading the excavation, said the graves were difficult to identify because they were not immediately visible in the soil. Their orientation, however, provided an important clue.
The deceased had been buried on a west-east alignment, with their heads to the west and facing east. Archaeologists interpreted the arrangement as evidence that the graves formed part of a cemetery surrounding a medieval church.
Stone and Brick Rubble Points to Medieval Church
After identifying the cemetery, the archaeological team extended its investigation beyond the immediate excavation area in an attempt to locate the associated religious building.
A substantial concentration of stone and brick rubble subsequently allowed researchers to determine the probable location of the church.
The structure itself lies outside the boundaries of the current excavation, while the graves being investigated are situated to its south.
Burial in consecrated ground surrounding churches became widespread during the Middle Ages. According to Ádám, from around the 11th and 12th centuries onwards, communities commonly buried their dead in churchyards close to their settlements.
Three graves are currently being excavated, and no grave goods have been found with the deceased.
Researchers said this was not unusual for cemeteries of this type. Medieval graves often contained no accompanying objects or only a very small number, although clothing accessories could occasionally survive.
Overlapping Graves Show Cemetery Became Crowded
Two intersecting burials have provided further evidence about how intensively the cemetery was used.
Archaeologists found that a later grave had been dug directly into an earlier burial. During the process, the leg bones of the previously buried individual were moved aside to make room for the new grave.
Such overlapping burials were not considered unusual in medieval churchyards, particularly when burial grounds had been used for generations and available space became increasingly limited.
The excavation is continuing, and archaeologists believe further graves could be found within the investigated area. A larger future excavation could also allow researchers to extend their work towards the site of the church.
Historical Records Help Identify Lost Nyénye
Archaeological evidence alone was not responsible for identifying the settlement. Researchers also examined medieval written sources and found references to a village named Nyénye.
Historical charters mentioning property disputes provided information about neighbouring settlements. By comparing those descriptions with the location of the archaeological remains, researchers were able to identify the site with the former village of Nyénye.
Before the latest investigation, researchers had only been able to approximate Nyénye’s location. The combination of archaeological and documentary evidence has now allowed them to identify the village cemetery and establish the probable position of its church.
Nyénye appears in written records for the last time in 1548, after which the settlement disappeared from the historical record.
Centuries later, pottery scattered across the surface provided the initial clue to what lay beneath the ground. The subsequent identification of settlement features, medieval graves and concentrations of stone and brick rubble has now provided researchers with physical evidence for a community previously known primarily through historical documents.
Sources : Jasz Nagykun Sznolnok County
