A skull was recently discovered at a medieval church – and an expert believes it may belong to a legendary European king.
Emese Gábor, a facial reconstruction specialist and portrait sculptor based in Hungary, spoke with Fox News Digital about the discovery.
The skull was found in the ossuary portion of the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. Gábor believes the skull belongs to Matthias Corvinus, who ruled as king of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490.
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Called Matthias the Just, the medieval king is known for restructuring the Hungarian army and ushering in judicial reforms.
The Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, now an archaeological site, had been the burial site of Hungarian kings for centuries.
Emese Gábor, a facial reconstruction specialist (shown above left), strongly believes the skull belongs to Matthias Corvinus. (Emese Gábor / ARC-heo art-REKO Studio; Getty Images)
The site was raided by the Ottomans in the 16th century before it was destroyed by a fire in 1601.
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Gábor told Fox News Digital she found an “exceptionally high degree of morphological similarity” between the unknown skull and the skull of Matthias Corvinus’ son, János Corvinus.
“The greenish discoloration observed on the bone surface likely indicates the presence of a metal crown once worn, which left traces through oxidation.”
“[The skull’s] external characteristics are also of exceptional importance: the greenish discoloration observed on the bone surface likely indicates the presence of a metal crown once worn, which left traces through oxidation,” Gábor said.
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The physical features of the skull also match what’s known about Corvinus, down to his age and height, she also noted.
The skull may belong to Matthias Corvinus, who ruled as king of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. (Getty Images; Emese Gábor / ARC-heo art-REKO Studio)
“This phenomenon, along with other features — such as the estimated age at death (43–48 years; Mátyás died at age 47) and the body height of 172 cm — provide further support and reinforce the possibility of royal origin.”
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Gábor also created plastic facial reconstructions of the examined skulls in an effort to help visualize the facial features.
Gábor compared the skull with the skull of Matthias Corvinus’ son — and found a similar facial morphology. (Emese Gábor / ARC-heo art-REKO Studio)
“The comparative analyses … [were] based on detailed proportional and morphological evaluations, including the results of the facial reconstruction,” she said.
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Researchers plan to study the skull further, Gábor added, including full genomic and mitochondrial DNA analyses and isotope analyses, to learn more.
Gábor said the discovery “could shed new light on the appearance and person of Matthias Corvinus.” (Emese Gábor / ARC-heo art-REKO Studio)
“This research could shed new light on the appearance and person of Matthias Corvinus, and also on the historical treasures still hidden at Hungarian heritage sites,” the expert said.