Norbert Pape, professor of history and geography at the institution, said the site of the Battle of Mohaj can be clearly identified based on research conducted by the University of Pécs (PTE). The expert told MTI that a map dating back to 1700, other written sources, and the results of recent mechanistic studies would give him a chance to find the site of the 1526 battle.
According to the head of the Center for Historical-Geographical and Political Research of the János Szentágothai Research Center of the University of Pécs, the geo-name analysis and another study of the ecological reconstruction of settlements in the Mohaj Plain, which played a role in determining the site, were recently completed.
There has been debate among scholars for a century as to exactly where the fateful conflict took place. The solution was hampered by the failure to locate the village of Voldvar, which had been depopulated in 1704 at the latest, on the basis of convincing evidence.
According to Norbert Bab, the location of the former settlement is particularly important because the Hungarian historian of the history of the battle, Bishop Istvan Brodareks, looks back at the location of this village when determining the site.
According to Norbert Babb, in the past 100 years or so, researchers have identified more than a dozen possible points in the Mohag Plain in relation to the location of the village. He and colleagues examined the location of the settlement occupied by analyzing the geographical name, written sources, historical maps, the economic structure of the area, changes in land use, and factors of geographical settlement.
The researchers first examined four potential sites, and then, after a more in-depth analysis, concluded that
The former Földvár lies south of today’s Sátorhely, north of the village of Udvar, along the Borza Stream, at a crossing point.
This is confirmed by a map dating back to 1700.
Partial archaeological excavations in the now delineated area were actually carried out in 1967, when traces of a medieval settlement were found. Last year, automated surveys provided additional information about the extent of the settlement. According to Norbert Pape, it is justified to continue these works. The expert said investigations should focus on exploring the buildings in the settlement, especially the church.
According to him, in addition to exploring the former village, it would also be useful to subject the vast area north of it to complex field investigations, to search for remnants of weapons, mass graves, places of ramparts and trenches. Only large-scale, automated tests, he added, could yield results.
(Cover image: Bertalan Sekely’s painting The Battle of Mohac. Photo: Wikipedia)
