The stone coat of arms, which had been part of the church belonging to the Order of Saint Benedict, was found in Citrom Street by archaeologist Gábor Kárpáti in 1984 at the archaeological dig preceding the instalment of gas pipes in the street. Signs and a coat of arms, 7.6 centimetres high and 6 centimetres wide, are etched in the stone. Stains of fire can be seen on the surface containing the writing, suggesting that it had been built in the wall. The upper section of the crest is damaged, but the runes can still be read. Two axes divide the field into four sections which are to be read from right to left.

According to Sándor Forrai’s translation, it is a grave inscription saying that “we are the saints of Aba who are Eszter, Anna, Erzsébet”.

The word ‘ABA’ refers to Clan Aba whose camp site had been in the area bordering Baranya and Somogy County that had belonged to the Diocese of Pécs with the central estate located in Abaliget.

The discovery provides insights into ancient Hungarian culture and literacy consisting of Szekler-Hungarian runes and abbreviated liturgical letters. The archaeological find provides evidence that Hungarians living in Transdanubia had known and used this ancient runic alphabet. What makes it even more unique is that nothing like this has ever been found in Pécs. Furthermore, it provides cultural and historical evidence that this ancient culture had been deeply rooted in the cultural literacy of Hungarians at the time. The peaceful co-existence of this ancient Eastern culture and Christianity provides further research directions for historians and archaeologists specialising in local history.

Therefore, the finding is of great historical value. On 15 December 2010, when Pécs was a European Cultural Capital, Pécs Society for the Preservation and Development of Architecture presented the find in the House of Arts and Literature under the patronage of Sándor Lezsák. Then, on 18 June 2011, the stone was presented as a part of Forrai Sándor Runic Writing Traveling Exhibition in the final of Runic Writing and Literacy in the Carpathian Basin Congress XII held in Pécs Reformed College. Later, the traveling exhibition was hosted by Zsolnay Cultural Quarter as well as by several local elementary and secondary schools.

Today, “the stone coat of arms” is preserved and displayed in Janus Pannonius Museum.

Source of photos: https://www.facebook.com/kincsesbaranya