Alcune considerazioni sulla storia antica degli ungheresi (Parte 1)

Abstract

The ancient history of the Hungarian people is shrouded in numerous uncertainties, giving rise to multiple hypotheses. The historical narrative of the Magyars begins with their settlement in the Carpathian Basin, in present-day Hungary, which took place in 895. For earlier periods, the available information is limited, fragmented, and lacks direct documentation. The first historical sources date back to the 9th century and come from Arab, Persian, Byzantine, and Russian chroniclers. The study of the formation and evolution of the Hungarian-speaking community relies on an interdisciplinary approach. From the latter half of the 19th century to the mid-20th century, historiography and historical-comparative linguistics played a predominant role. Subsequently, archaeology became central, while in recent decades, the integration of genetics and archaeology has given rise to archaeogenetics, an innovative discipline that opens new perspectives for investigating periods predating written records. Between the linguistic independence of Hungarian, dating back approximately 3,500 years, and the documented history of the Magyars, which spans the last 1,200 years, lies a gap of around 2,300 years. This interval raises fundamental questions: what happened or might have happened to the Hungarians during this long intermediate period? How can we authentically reconstruct their past prior to the historical sources? This contribution initiates a series of reflections on such questions, with a particular focus on the role of the available historical testimonies. We will explore why it is essential to revisit them today and what “losses” or “gains” may arise from this process of reinterpretation.