Exhibition Guide
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Dear Visitor, An array of finds that strongly resemble traditional attires and household objects of European, Asian and Middle Eastern grave of the Hungarian Conquest period After exhibiting the archaeological finds of those from Hungarian archaeological sites the conquering Hungarians is also exhibited academic circles. near Törtel, Pest County, Pósta found a belt his Caucasian and Turan expeditions at the of the Conquest period of the 9th – 10th with the accompaniment of authentic folk World War I and the subsequent Romanian end ornamented with a deer representation 1896 Millennium Exhibition, Count Jenő centuries A.D., installations representing tunes recorded in North Caucasus. invasion put an end to the Hungarian which to this day has been considered as Zichy donated them to the Hungarian Who are the contemporary customs and everyday life archaeological studies and the enthusiastic one of the emblematic specimens of the National Museum. Béla Pósta studied the Hungarian and reconstructed drawings and maps Béla Pósta (1862-1919) work of the school in Transylvania. Béla Hungarian material culture of the Carpathian collection of 2191 artefacts and the people, where depict an area that is remote in time and Pósta died in April 1919, so he did not live to basin in the 9th–10th centuries A.D. following year he took part in Count Zichy’s did they come distance but close in the spiritual and Béla Pósta was born in Kecskemét in 1862. see the signing of the Trianon Treaty. His third Asian expedition. The broad media from and cultural sense. After studying law and humanities, he academic views and methods were coverage of his expedition trip was also the where did worked for the Department of Coins and bequeathed by his disciples who were on reason of his appointment as head of the their ancestors The exhibition also commemorates the Antiquities of the the firm belief that: newly established Department of Archaeology live? Academics Hungarian prehistoric researches of Béla Hungarian National of the Kolozsvár University. As a university and people Pósta, the founder of the archaeological Museum for 21 years. “The Chronicles of the Institute of Numismatics teacher, he considered one of his most interested in the school in Kolozsvár (today Cluj-Napoca) who In 1896, he was assigned to and Archaeology and the Numismatic and important tasks to educate young ancient history of was one of the first Orientalist archaeologists. study the finds collected Archaeological Collection will register and professionals, many of whom he would Magyars have tried to The exposition presents the routes of the during Count Jenő Zichy’s immortalize the period when Béla Pósta choose for carrying out ancient Hungarian find the answers to these Hungarian archaeological expeditions in the expedition in the North headed the sister institutions as the “Béla research in Eastern lands. He planned to Caucasus, highlights some of the most Caucasus and the Turan Pósta era’” (Márton Roska, 1941) organise an Institute of Oriental Studies in questions for centuries. The belt end representing a deer from important events of the first joint Plain. The following year, he the territory of ancient Mesopotamia, Törtel (Hungarian National Museum, Hungarian Our exhibition primarily relies on archaeology Hungarian-Russian archaeological excavation participated in Count Béla Pósta’s academic activity southward of the Caucasus. His aim was to to provide the answers. With authentic in the autumn of 2019 and gives an account Zichy’s third Asian expedition. Conquest Period Collection) get Hungarian scientists involved in the finds and documents from South Russian, of the latest ethnographic and genetic In 1899, he was appointed “Most of the specific national elements of “As for the belt end with a deer, it is one of excavations of Middle Eastern civilisations predominantly North Caucasian sites that results. head of the newly organised our archaeological relics, even from the the most eloquent pieces among our performed by international teams are of key importance from the viewpoint Department of Archaeology earliest times cannot be explained and pagan-time artefacts. On the one hand, the A short cartoon film revives the plot of the of the Kolozsvár University, interpreted without the thorough knowledge deer connects it with a large group of the of ancient Hungarian history, the exhibition Béla Pósta and Count origin myth of Hungarians, The Legend of where - using his advanced of the relics from the Oriental world.” so-called Scythian finds <...> and on the draws attention to the region which is Jenő Zichy during the undeservedly forgotten today. However, the Miraculous Hind and takes the visitor on views and interdisciplinary methods - he (Béla Pósta, 1915) other hand, this type of stylisation is similar 3rd expedition mediaeval chronicles and earlier researchers a time journey to the area of the Caucasus established an internationally renowned to a surviving motif of Hungarian art in later (Hungarian National devoted major attention to the area due to and the Maeotian Swamp (the Sea of Azov) school. Pósta was the first to introduce While carrying out excavations for the periods. <...> We can recognise its ancient Museum, Central the “thousands and thousands of signs,” as which is believed to have been the mythical Oriental archaeological studies in the Hungarian National Museum (1885–1889), shape on Persian Egyptian-style cornices Database and Digital Béla Pósta, the former custodian of the homeland of the ancient Magyars. A stylised curriculum and to promote the establishment Béla Pósta dealt with nearly all archaeological and many Sassanid-time flowers.” Hungarian National Museum said. yurt furnished with reconstructed of professional contacts among Eastern eras from prehistory to the Middle Ages. In a (Béla Pósta, 1896.) Archive) Béla Pósta and Count Zichy’s 3rd expedition The results of Béla Pósta’s research trip were Legend of the Miraculous Hind “Upon the beginning of the confusion of “The Maeotis area is near to the land of summarized in his book published in 1905, languages, Nimrod the Giant left for the land Persia, and Lake Maeotis neighboured Persia; “My collection is my homeland for which I have where he also highlighted the helpfulness and The Caucasus and the area around the Sea of Evilath (Havilah), which then was called a except for one ford, it is encircled by sea; it collected it.” (Béla Pósta, 1904) valuable contribution of the Russian of Azov (the ancient Lake Maeotis) adjoining province of Persia, where he begat two sons is well watered and rich in grass, woods, fish, academic circles. the mountains from the north-west are – Hunor and Magor - by his wife Eneth, from birds and beasts; it is difficult either to During his research trip to Russia in 1897– also mentioned in the origin myth of whom are named the Magyars and the Huns. approach or to leave. Having thus come to 1898 within the framework of Count Zichy’s “It is clear from the archaeological viewpoint Hungarians, the Legend of the Miraculous According to tradition, Nimrod the Giant had the Maeotian marshes, they stayed there 3rd expedition organised with the aim to find that Count Jenő Zichy’s 3rd expedition was Hind. In the fullest form, it can be found in several wives with whom he sired other sons for five years without leaving. But in the the Oriental traces of ancient Magyar peoples, purely and exclusively an academic journey the chronicle, Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum and daughters besides Hunor and Magor. sixth year, they suddenly came upon the Béla Pósta visited areas where “Hungarians and - though it produced certain results - the (Deeds of the Huns and Hungarians) written These sons and daughters and their wives and children of Belar’s sons, who lived in prehistoric times and where Finno- achievement can only be attributed to the in Latin by Simon of Kéza, around 1285; but offspring inhabited Persia; their stature and stayed in their tents without any of their Ugric peoples contacted with Turkic-Tatar prosperity of the area, the efficient arrangement the legend was also known among the the colour of their skin are similar to the men folk. Quickly they fell upon them and peoples.” Based on the obtained results, he of Russian museums, the rich and precious Hungarian people. Huns; only their language is somewhat carried them off with all their belongings as deemed research in the Caucasus region as Russian-language literature and the utmost different, as Saxon differs from Thuringian. far as they could into the Maeotian marshes.” one of the most important tasks. politeness and liberalism of our Russian King Nimrod/Ménrót was a real historical Since Hunor and Magor were Nimrod’s A view of the Caucasus from the photo material of colleagues.” (Béla Pósta, 1905) figure. According to the Bible, he was one of firstborns, they lived separately from their “It happened also in that skirmish that Count Zichy’s 1st expedition (Vasárnapi Újság, 1895) “Research into the cultural influence coming the most distinguished rulers of the land of father in their own tents.” besides the boys there were seized two from the Iranian regions and the Caucasus will Mesopotamia, the great-grandson of Noah, daughters of Dula, prince of the Alans of remain the most important task of Orientalists Béla Pósta’s notes on the sabre from Tiflis, Georgia the Flood Survivor; he was depicted as a “It happened that one day they had gone whom one was taken to wife by Hunor and for a long while.” stout hunter and a symbol of power. Simon out hunting, and in a deserted place there the other by Magor. All the Huns descend (Hungarian National Museum, Central Database (Béla Pósta, 1905) of Kéza mentions that it was Nimrod who appeared before them a hind, which they from these women.