Prof. Dr. József Laszlovszky

Donnerstag, 10. Oktober 2024 | 18:00 Uhr | Abgusssammlung (SR E.33) | Residenzplatz 1 | Salzburg | EINLADUNG

The Mongol invasion of Central Europe (Hungary, Poland, Silesia, Moravia, Austria) in 1241-42 was one of the most dramatic events of themedieval history of this region. Written sources and eyewittness accounts describe the destruction of large areas by the Mongol army and the impact of the invasion.These accounts (from England to China) offervery different narratives on the squence of theevents and they shaped the modern historical interpretations for a long time. Archaeological investigations carried out during the last two decades in the region and particularly in Hungary led to a change of paradigm in the research of this period.
New studies of hoards conflict archaeology, new investigations on settlement dynamism combined with the re-interpretation of historical sources offer now a new image of the invasion and the destruction caused by this. A recent major research project in Hungary produced significant new results for the interpretation of archaeological finds, proxy data andvarious indicators on destruction and desertion processes in the context of the invasion. The lecture will present these results and the emerging new archaeological narratives of this crucial historical period.