Unveiling the complexity of post-Roman polity formation in Pannonia using ancient DNA.
Saved in:
| Title: | Unveiling the complexity of post-Roman polity formation in Pannonia using ancient DNA. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Tian, Yijie (AUTHOR), Koncz, István (AUTHOR), Faragó, Norbert (AUTHOR), Knipper, Corina (AUTHOR), Friedrich, Ronny (AUTHOR), Vyas, Deven N. (AUTHOR), Samu, Levente (AUTHOR), Spekker, Olga (AUTHOR), Szeniczey, Tamás (AUTHOR), Hajdu, Tamás (AUTHOR), Mende, Balázs Gusztáv (AUTHOR), Tomka, Péter (AUTHOR), Pap, Ildikó Katalin (AUTHOR), Czigány, Dávid (AUTHOR), Radzeviciute, Rita (AUTHOR), Traverso, Luca (AUTHOR), Gnecchi-Ruscone, Guido Alberto (AUTHOR), Francalacci, Paolo (AUTHOR), Schöne, Bernd (AUTHOR), Tóth, Gábor (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Science. 6/11/2026, Vol. 392 Issue 6803, p1-16. 16p. |
| Subjects: | Mass migrations, Political organizations, Social structure, Fossil DNA |
| Geographic Terms: | Pannonia Region, Europe |
| Abstract: | The transformation of the Roman world [fourth to ninth centuries common era (CE)], culminating in the Western Roman Empire's fall, marked a fundamental transition in European history. Key questions persist regarding the regionally specific nature of this transformation. We generated a paleogenomic dataset to reconstruct post-Roman organizations in the Little Hungarian Plain at microregional resolution. Genetic and archaeological analyses of two Roman (n = 68) and five post-Roman (n = 246) sites reveal a rise in Northern European ancestry, reflecting large-scale population movements into this region. Moreover, despite post-Roman sites sharing similar genetic profiles, material culture, and burial practices, they show distinct social structures, especially regarding the role played by biological relatedness. These findings highlight local hierarchies and reveal the making of a post-Roman polity. Editor's summary: The dissolution of the western Roman Empire resulted in substantial population and political shifts across Europe. To better understand the role of migration in this period, Tian et al. sequenced genomes from 314 individuals from seven sites in the Little Hungarian Plain, a region at the border between the eastern and western halves of the empire through which the river Danube and major trade routes flowed. Genetic data and isotopes indicate an influx of northern European populations into the region over the 3rd to 6th centuries CE, but cultural signifiers such as grave goods remained consistent. Grave kinship and nutrition indicate that social structure changed independently across these settlements, suggesting idiosyncratic shifts in response to demographic change rather than complete replacement. —Corinne Simonti INTRODUCTION: With the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the fourth to sixth centuries common era (CE) were a period of profound demographic, cultural, and political change on the European continent. Although these changes have traditionally been attributed to the migration of "barbarians," modern scholars have tended to emphasize the role of internal social dynamics. However, the lack of contemporaneous written records has limited what we can say about post-Roman communities. The combined analysis of ancient DNA, isotopes, and the archaeological record from these ancient communities provides another dimension to help us understand the period. RATIONALE: The Little Hungarian Plain was part of the Pannonian provinces of the Roman Empire and was an important frontier zone, and its rich archaeological record provides an ideal case study for using ancient DNA to better understand these transformations. Therefore, we sequenced 314 ancient genomes dated between the third and sixth centuries CE from seven (two late Roman and five post-Roman) cemeteries. We then integrated these data with isotopic and archaeological evidence to provide a high-resolution picture of migration and community development in the region. RESULTS: We found that the genetic profile of the populations changed substantially in the post-Roman period, with a major influx of Northern European genetic ancestry. This likely reflects the historically documented expansion of the Langobards into the region, although this immigrant population appears to have mixed with the existing local late Roman inhabitants rather than replacing them. In addition, although individual post-Roman cemeteries had highly similar genomic profiles, they demonstrated a variety of patterns of within- and between-cemetery biological relatedness. CONCLUSION: Rather than representing simple, independent rural communities, our data revealed a complex, stratified society. By combining genetic and archaeological data at an unprecedented spatial and temporal scale, we were able to identify distinct social hierarchies in which core kin groups likely maintained political and social power. This suggests that the formation of the post-Roman Langobard polity was driven by the establishment of these hierarchical networks, connecting communities on cultural, political, and biological levels. From migration to a hierarchically structured post-Roman polity.: This schematic illustrates the formation of differing forms of sixth-century communities through the convergence of migrating Northern European (blue) and local Southern European (red) ancestry. By combining ancient DNA, isotopic data, and archaeological data, we are able to reconstruct the emergence of complex regional hierarchies in the post-Roman world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | The transformation of the Roman world [fourth to ninth centuries common era (CE)], culminating in the Western Roman Empire's fall, marked a fundamental transition in European history. Key questions persist regarding the regionally specific nature of this transformation. We generated a paleogenomic dataset to reconstruct post-Roman organizations in the Little Hungarian Plain at microregional resolution. Genetic and archaeological analyses of two Roman (n = 68) and five post-Roman (n = 246) sites reveal a rise in Northern European ancestry, reflecting large-scale population movements into this region. Moreover, despite post-Roman sites sharing similar genetic profiles, material culture, and burial practices, they show distinct social structures, especially regarding the role played by biological relatedness. These findings highlight local hierarchies and reveal the making of a post-Roman polity. Editor's summary: The dissolution of the western Roman Empire resulted in substantial population and political shifts across Europe. To better understand the role of migration in this period, Tian et al. sequenced genomes from 314 individuals from seven sites in the Little Hungarian Plain, a region at the border between the eastern and western halves of the empire through which the river Danube and major trade routes flowed. Genetic data and isotopes indicate an influx of northern European populations into the region over the 3rd to 6th centuries CE, but cultural signifiers such as grave goods remained consistent. Grave kinship and nutrition indicate that social structure changed independently across these settlements, suggesting idiosyncratic shifts in response to demographic change rather than complete replacement. —Corinne Simonti INTRODUCTION: With the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the fourth to sixth centuries common era (CE) were a period of profound demographic, cultural, and political change on the European continent. Although these changes have traditionally been attributed to the migration of "barbarians," modern scholars have tended to emphasize the role of internal social dynamics. However, the lack of contemporaneous written records has limited what we can say about post-Roman communities. The combined analysis of ancient DNA, isotopes, and the archaeological record from these ancient communities provides another dimension to help us understand the period. RATIONALE: The Little Hungarian Plain was part of the Pannonian provinces of the Roman Empire and was an important frontier zone, and its rich archaeological record provides an ideal case study for using ancient DNA to better understand these transformations. Therefore, we sequenced 314 ancient genomes dated between the third and sixth centuries CE from seven (two late Roman and five post-Roman) cemeteries. We then integrated these data with isotopic and archaeological evidence to provide a high-resolution picture of migration and community development in the region. RESULTS: We found that the genetic profile of the populations changed substantially in the post-Roman period, with a major influx of Northern European genetic ancestry. This likely reflects the historically documented expansion of the Langobards into the region, although this immigrant population appears to have mixed with the existing local late Roman inhabitants rather than replacing them. In addition, although individual post-Roman cemeteries had highly similar genomic profiles, they demonstrated a variety of patterns of within- and between-cemetery biological relatedness. CONCLUSION: Rather than representing simple, independent rural communities, our data revealed a complex, stratified society. By combining genetic and archaeological data at an unprecedented spatial and temporal scale, we were able to identify distinct social hierarchies in which core kin groups likely maintained political and social power. This suggests that the formation of the post-Roman Langobard polity was driven by the establishment of these hierarchical networks, connecting communities on cultural, political, and biological levels. From migration to a hierarchically structured post-Roman polity.: This schematic illustrates the formation of differing forms of sixth-century communities through the convergence of migrating Northern European (blue) and local Southern European (red) ancestry. By combining ancient DNA, isotopic data, and archaeological data, we are able to reconstruct the emergence of complex regional hierarchies in the post-Roman world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 00368075 |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.aec2634 |
