Warrior from long-lost ancient civilization deemed 'high status' found with rare treasures

Officials have unveiled the tomb of an ancient warrior, buried over 1,300 years ago by a long-forgotten people.

King Saint Stephen Museum, located in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, announced the discovery on Facebook. The tomb belonged to a "high-ranking Avar-period warrior," according to the translated post.

The Avars were a nomadic people from Central Asia who settled parts of what is now Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia and Austria during the early Middle Ages. Once dominant across Central and Southern Europe, their power weakened after Charlemagne's campaigns.

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The burial, less than seven feet deep, likely dates between 670 and 690 A.D., during the Middle Avar Period. It was found in August, though officials only revealed the discovery in October.

The museum's announcement noted that the body appeared to have been "disturbed" at some point, as the warrior's head, chest and abdomen had been moved from their anatomical positions.

But the grave also contained fascinating - and valuable - artifacts that were untouched.

These included a long knife, silver belt ornaments, gilded braid rings, an earring and a saber.

Frigyes Szücsi, lead archaeologist of the excavation, told Fox News Digital only 80 similar sabers have been found from the Middle Avar Period.

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"But most of them are not in as good condition as the one we found, or they were not discovered during archeological excavations," said Szücsi. "Only high-status warriors had sabers, as it was the most expensive weapon of the time."

The archaeologist added, "This is one of the earliest sabers, since this new type of weapon appeared simultaneously in the Carpathian Basin and in Eastern Europe during the second half of the 7th century."

Taking out the saber without damaging it proved tricky. Szücsi said the excavation team used a custom-made box-like tool to move it.

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The saber only weighs around 1.3 pounds now, and officials believe it was much heavier before it corroded.

They also believe the grave was reopened for ritual - rather than nefarious - reasons, since so many artifacts remained in place.

"They left the arrowheads, probably in the quiver, as well as the silver belt mounts inside," Szücsi noted. "They didn't even touch the long knife and the saber."

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"The disturbance must have taken place at least 10 years after the burial, as the bones were no longer held together by connective tissues, yet still during the Avar period, as the grave marker, or the grave mound or wooden post, must still have been visible."

Researchers also used satellite imagery to explore the cemetery, identifying graves by subtle variations in crop color.

"Over the deep graves, the crops exhibit a darker shade of green, making it possible to outline the entire cemetery in aerial photographs," said Szücsi.

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"This method provides a great opportunity for archaeological research, as it also allows for the mapping of previously unknown Avar-period burial sites."

Hungary, a country rich in history, has been the subject of a few history-related headlines this year.

In Pannonhalma, a massive bug infestation threatened a monastery's historic 1,000-year-old book collection this summer.

In May, Fox News Digital spoke with a forensic expert who identified a skull that may have belonged to Matthias Corvinus, a legendary Hungarian king.