Seven wooden piles, aligned in a deliberate row along the riverbank, have now been identified as the probable remains of a medieval ferry crossing, shedding new light on a transport network that operated for centuries.
The discovery was confirmed by Dr. Róbert Kertész, archaeologist at the Damjanich János Museum. The piles, measuring approximately 20–30 centimetres in diameter, were observed protruding from the riverbed between Rákóczifalva and Tiszavárkony, near Rákóczifalva, Hungary. Their orderly placement immediately suggested intentional construction rather than natural deposition.
“The piles were deliberately driven into the riverbed in a straight line,” Kertész explained.
The find came to light after József Papi, a local specialist who had previously worked on excavations at the Szolnok castle, alerted experts to the unusual formations. Archaeologists conducted on-site examinations and extracted wood samples for dendrochronological analysis.
The tree-ring dating is being carried out by Dr. András Morgós, former chief restorer of the Hungarian National Museum. Results are pending and expected to provide precise chronological data. Since the initial discovery, rising water levels have once again submerged the remains.
Permanent bridges across the Tisza were rare in the Middle Ages due to high construction and maintenance costs, particularly given seasonal flooding and ice damage. Ferry crossings were the dominant solution. Historical records indicate that a fixed bridge existed at Szolnok during the Ottoman period, but such structures were exceptional.
The crossing between medieval Varsány—located on the site of present-day Rákóczifalva—and Várkony on the opposite bank was among the most significant in the region.
The two settlements are both mentioned in 11th-century sources. Várkony was home to a royal manor and is associated with the dramatic 1059 “crown and sword” episode involving King Andrew I and Prince Béla.
Eventually, Varsány grew to become a prosperous market town, mentioned in a 1075 charter of the Benedictine abbey of Garamszentbenedek. It flourished economically from cattle trade and international textile commerce, including high-value Flemish imports.
The ferry linked a major overland route connecting Buda with southern Transylvania. In 1541, Queen Isabella is recorded as having crossed the Tisza at this very point while fleeing after the Ottoman occupation of Buda.
Archaeologists emphasise the rarity of such evidence. “Ferry crossings leave almost no trace,” Kertész noted. “That is why this row of piles is particularly significant.”
The seven posts stand as rare physical testimony to a medieval transport corridor that once carried kings, merchants, livestock, and goods across the Tisza for generations.
Header Image Credit : Angéla Major
Sources : SAY
