The Institute of Hungarian Research (MKI) was established in 2019 as a nationwide research institution with the aim of investigating the origins, history, and cultural heritage of the Hungarian people within a Eurasian context through interdisciplinary scientific methods.
The mission of the Institute is to conduct research on Hungarian prehistory and the Middle Ages using modern, source-based approaches embedded in an international scholarly framework. Our work is based on the integrated application of archaeology, history, linguistics, archaeogenetics, anthropology, ethnography, and ethnomusicology.
A key objective of MKI is the implementation of large-scale, complex national and international research programs that contribute to a scientifically grounded and nuanced understanding of the early periods of Hungarian history.
Main Research Areas
- Research on Hungarian prehistory, the period of the Conquest, and the era of medieval state formation
- Study of the Scythian, Hun, Avar, and Conquest-period populations of the Carpathian Basin
- Exploration of the eastern connections of the Hungarians across the Eurasian region
- Application of interdisciplinary methods in the integrated interpretation of archaeological, historical, linguistic, ethnographic, and ethnomusicological sources
Árpád Dynasty Project
A nationally significant research program aimed at the scientific identification of the rulers of the Árpád dynasty through complex archaeogenetic, anthropological, and historical analysis of human remains recovered from the ossuary in Székesfehérvár. Its goal is the reconstruction of the dynasty’s genetic profile and the authentic study of the ruling elite at the foundation of the Hungarian state.
Székesfehérvár National Pantheon Program
A national-scale initiative dedicated to the scientifically grounded commemoration of the outstanding figures of Hungarian statehood. Building upon the results of the Árpád Dynasty Project, it prepares the dignified reburial of identified rulers and high-ranking individuals and the creation of a national memorial site.
Abasár National Memorial Research Program
A large-scale scientific investigation of one of the central sites of the early Hungarian kingdom, focusing on the historical center of the Aba clan and the reign of King Samuel Aba, providing the foundation for the establishment of a new national memorial site.
Population History of the Carpathian Basin from the Scythian Period to the Early Árpád Era
A comprehensive interdisciplinary program exploring more than a millennium of population processes in the Carpathian Basin through complex archaeological, anthropological, and archaeogenetic research in a Eurasian context, with particular attention to the eastern connections and cultural interactions of nomadic equestrian societies.
Mongolia – Excavation of the Hun-period Cemetery at Ar-Gunt
An internationally significant Hungarian–Mongolian archaeological collaboration investigating elite Hun-period burials, offering new insights into Hun social structure and Eurasian networks of interaction.
Maeotis–Kuban Region–Caucasus Project
An international research initiative focused on the comprehensive study of key eastern regions of Hungarian prehistory, examining the relationships, migrations, and cultural exchanges between early Hungarians and steppe peoples.
Research on the Traditional Culture of Kipchak Turkic Peoples
An interdisciplinary program uncovering the eastern cultural background of Hungarian prehistory through ethnological and ethnomusicological research among Kipchak Turkic communities in the North Caucasus, the Volga–Don region, and Central Asia, reconstructing the eastern roots and historical connections of Hungarian traditional culture.