At the end of the 9th century, specifically in 895, the Hungarians invaded the region along the middle course of the Danube and Tisza rivers, where they encountered numerous South Slavic tribes. Initially participants in and organizers of raids, they gradually transitioned to a settled way of life and adopted many habits and customs of the indigenous South Slavic population.
Among other things, they learned agriculture from the South Slavs and adopted a significant number of words and concepts related to farming and sedentary life. Conversely, the South Slavs also adopted many terms related to animal husbandry from the Hungarians.
The arrival of the Hungarians in these areas finally disrupted the territorial connection that had previously existed between the South and West Slavs. The settlement of the Hungarians in our specific region occurred only in the late Middle Ages, although the entire area of present-day Vojvodina remained part of Hungary (later Austro-Hungary) until 1918, with minor interruptions from the early 16th to the early 18th century, when the Ottomans ruled the region.
A considerable amount of archaeological material has been found from this period, mainly in graves. Famous Czech historian and archaeologist Lubor Niderle, while studying the discovered graves from this period, particularly from the time of the Great Migration of Peoples and the Slavic-Avar and Hungarian eras, concluded the following:
- The Slavs, including the South Slavs, buried their dead crouched with livestock, placing the deceased’s feet facing east and their head facing west, or the face towards the rising sun. However, as the sun rises and sets at different points on the horizon in various seasons, there was no uniform position for the graves, with greater or lesser deviations depending on the sun’s position at the time of burial.
- The Avars buried their dead with whole horses and other equipment, and there was no fixed order in the arrangement of the graves.
- The Hungarians (Mongoloid and Altaic type) buried their dead with horse heads, hooves, and the deceased's intestines, arranging the graves in circular patterns.
- The graves varied in preparation: some were lined with stone, others with wood, in some the body was placed in a boat-shaped vessel, while in others it was simply laid in the earth without protection or prior preparation. This diversity in burial practices reflects the different social statuses of the deceased during their lives.
A Brief Overview of Medieval Monuments
On the left bank of the Tisza, a bit upstream from the current ferry crossing, at the site known as "Gradište," the remains of the Novi Bečej Fortress are located. Its origins date back to the 2nd century AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who played an unfortunate role as the first Roman emperor to lead a new phase in the empire’s history – the defense of state borders against the increasing invasions of barbarian tribes living outside the empire’s borders.
As a medieval fortification named Castellanum de Beche, the Novi Bečej Fortress is mentioned in 1342, likely taking its final form between 1300 and 1320. It is confirmed that the original fortress was located on the present-day island, which already existed at that time, and was artificially connected to the shore.
The most comprehensive information about the Novi Bečej Fortress comes from the late 17th century, just before it was finally demolished. The fortress was built in the shape of an irregular quadrangle, with a tower at each corner, all of the same size. In the center of the fortress was another, larger tower, 9.5 cubits tall. The outer walls were 5.5 to 6.5 cubits high, while the inner walls were slightly lower.
The entire city-fortress was surrounded by a moat 15 cubits wide and 1.5 cubits deep (possibly slightly shallower), which was always filled with water. The fortress was connected to the shore by a causeway protected by wooden stakes (palisades) and, likely, a movable bridge.
Geographically, the Novi Bečej Fortress held great military-strategic significance. As stated in an old record, it was constructed "to secure the estates and, particularly, the lucrative transportation routes." Throughout its existence, during the entire medieval period, the fortress was owned by the Hungarian king or the Austrian emperor under the supreme property rights. However, over time, these rights were transferred to individual nobles.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the Serbian despot Stefan Lazarević, the son of Prince Lazar and Princess Milica, inherited the Novi Bečej Fortress as part of his hereditary estate. During his ownership, he made improvements and partial reconstructions, adapting the fortress to the contemporary needs and the development of offensive and defensive weaponry, especially siege and city defense equipment. No records have survived detailing the extent or types of work Stefan undertook.
After Stefan Lazarević’s death, his nephew, Serbian despot Đurađ Branković of Smederevo, inherited the Novi Bečej Fortress.
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