Genetic Research and Hungarian "Deep Ancestry"

Authors

  • Nándor Dreisziger Royal Military College of Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ahea.2011.27

Keywords:

Hungarian ethnogenesis, Hungarian conquest, ancient Hungarians, Hungarian pre-history

Abstract

The past few decades saw the birth of the new science of genetics that can be used not only for medical purposes but also for the study of the past. Geneticists were quick to begin applying this science to the examination of Hungarian history, especially the subject of Hungarian origins. The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the reader with some of these studies. One study this paper will examine is itself a review of the scientific literature of early genetic studies on Hungarian origins. Other studies evaluated in this paper will be the English-language scientific publications of a team of Hungarian geneticists who over the last several years have studied the genetic inter-relatedness of 10th century and present-day Hungarian populations in the Middle Danube Valley of Central Europe. The paper comes to the conclusion that while very early genetic inquiries into Hungarian origins were often fault-ridden and are of little use now, more recent studies suggest that the currently held explanations of Hungarian ethnogenesis — especially the story of the so-called Hungarian conquest of the late 9th century — might very well be subjected to a fundamental re-assessment.

Author Biography

Nándor Dreisziger, Royal Military College of Canada

Nándor Dreisziger, from 1970 until his recent retirement taught European and North American history at the Royal Military College of Canada. He has published a number of books including a few edited or co-edited volumes, as well as papers in Canadian, American, British and other academic journals. For nearly four decades now he has been editing the Hungarian Studies Review. His research interests include 20th century Hungary’s history, the evolution of the Hungarian communities of North America, and lately, Hungarian ethnogenesis in Central Europe. At the present he is working on a monograph on Hungarians and their Christian Churches in Hungary and in North America. His next writing project will be a survey of the historiography of the Hungarian conquest of the Middle Danube Basin at the end of the 9th century.

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Published

2011-01-01

Issue

Section

General Articles