Elites, Local Power Centers in the Chronicle of Anonymous and Archaeological Realities in the Area of Meseş Gate around the Year 1000
Elites, Local Power Centers in the Chronicle of Anonymous and Archaeological Realities in the Area of Meseş Gate around the Year 1000

Summary/Abstract: I have previously approached the topic of elites and local power centers in Transylvania and havesuggested a number of criteria for the research methodology. One of the historical sources that make referenceto the first Magyar incursions in Transylvania during the 10th century, Gesta Hungarorum or the Chronicle ofAnonymous, is a significant document despite the fact that some specialists have expressed criticisms and havecontested it. The local power centers mentioned in the Chronicle of Anonymous that had direct connectionsto Porta Mesesina are those led by dux Menumorout and dux Gelou. According to the chronicle, Menumorout’sduchy extended between the rivers Mureş, Tisa, Someş and Meseş Gate, while Gelou’s duchy (Terra Ultrasilvana)extended eastwards from Meseş Gate, inside the Carpathian Arch. My aim is not to take up the discussion ofthe chronicle, nor of the truth behind the characters and of the facts it describes. My goal here is to identify,on the basis of the archaeological remains/realities in the area of Meseș Gate the possible elements that can beattributed to an elite (or several elites) and local power centers that can be dated to the chronological periodunder investigation. Archaeological researches performed in the settlements, cemeteries, and fortifications fromSylvanian Basin, in the eastern part of which Meseş Gate is located, have revealed archaeological contexts andartifacts that suggest the existence of elite(s) and of local power centers.

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