scholarly journals The Arrival of Steppe and Iranian Related Ancestry in the Islands of the Western Mediterranean

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Fernandes ◽  
Alissa Mittnik ◽  
Iñigo Olalde ◽  
Iosif Lazaridis ◽  
Olivia Cheronet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
African Ancestry ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
The People ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Middle Bronze Age ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Number Of Individuals

A series of studies have documented how Steppe pastoralist-related ancestry reached central Europe by at least 2500 BCE, while Iranian farmer-related ancestry was present in Aegean Europe by at least 1900 BCE. However, the spread of these ancestries into the western Mediterranean where they have contributed to many populations living today remains poorly understood. We generated genome-wide ancient DNA from the Balearic Islands, Sicily, and Sardinia, increasing the number of individuals with reported data from these islands from 3 to 52. We obtained data from the oldest skeleton excavated from the Balearic islands (dating to ∼2400 BCE), and show that this individual had substantial Steppe pastoralist-derived ancestry; however, later Balearic individuals had less Steppe heritage reflecting geographic heterogeneity or immigration from groups with more European first farmer-related ancestry. In Sicily, Steppe pastoralist ancestry arrived by ∼2200 BCE and likely came at least in part from Spain as it was associated with Iberian-specific Y chromosomes. In Sicily, Iranian-related ancestry also arrived by the Middle Bronze Age, thus revealing that this ancestry type, which was ubiquitous in the Aegean by this time, also spread further west prior to the classical period of Greek expansion. In Sardinia, we find no evidence of either eastern ancestry type in the Nuragic Bronze Age, but show that Iranian-related ancestry arrived by at least ∼300 BCE and Steppe ancestry arrived by ∼300 CE, joined at that time or later by North African ancestry. These results falsify the view that the people of Sardinia are isolated descendants of Europe’s first farmers. Instead, our results show that the island’s admixture history since the Bronze Age is as complex as that in many other parts of Europe.

scholarly journals Systematic 14C Dating of a Unique Early and Middle Bronze Age Cemetery at Xeropigado Koiladas, West Macedonia, Greece

Radiocarbon ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Maniatis ◽  
Ch Ziota
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
Entire Period ◽  
14C Dating ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Entire Area ◽  
Long Period ◽  
The People ◽  
Middle Bronze Age

Systematic radiocarbon dating was performed on a unique EBA-MBA cemetery at Xeropigado Koiladas situated at the edge of the Kitrini Limni basin in the Kozani area, northwest Greece. It was found that this cemetery had a particularly long period of use of ~700 yr (between about 2420 and 1730 BC), which is especially pronounced if compared with the relatively small number of burials totaling 222. The dating revealed no spatial differentiation with time; the entire area of the cemetery was used throughout the time. There is a tendency of the dates to concentrate mostly in the time ranges 2200–2030 and 2000–1850 BC, which may tentatively suggest a more intense use of the cemetery during these periods. The results from multiple or consequent burials revealed that this cemetery was a landmark visible to the people of that time for at least 500 yr, if not for the entire period of its use. Some of the graves were built on top of, or adjacent to, older ones without disturbing the old burials. This implies that the Xeropigado cemetery was an important place of reference for at least 25 generations! No settlements have been found yet in the area that could be associated with the Xeropigado cemetery. Some synchronizations with various other sites in west Macedonia, for which 14C dates are available, are presented.

Kinship-based social inequality in Bronze Age Europe

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 366 (6466) ◽  
pp. 731-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alissa Mittnik ◽  
Ken Massy ◽  
Corina Knipper ◽  
Fabian Wittenborn ◽  
Ronny Friedrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Inequality ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
High Status ◽  
Late Neolithic ◽  
Archaeological Data ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genome Wide Data ◽  
Middle Bronze Age ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Shed Light

Revealing and understanding the mechanisms behind social inequality in prehistoric societies is a major challenge. By combining genome-wide data, isotopic evidence, and anthropological and archaeological data, we have gone beyond the dominating supraregional approaches in archaeogenetics to shed light on the complexity of social status, inheritance rules, and mobility during the Bronze Age. We applied a deep microregional approach and analyzed genome-wide data of 104 human individuals deriving from farmstead-related cemeteries from the Late Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age in southern Germany. Our results reveal individual households, lasting several generations, that consisted of a high-status core family and unrelated low-status individuals; a social organization accompanied by patrilocality and female exogamy; and the stability of this system over 700 years.

scholarly journals ROUTE DETERMINATION OF HISTORICAL ROADS BY LOCATION OF PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENTS: NORTH OF LAKE EBER

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (13) ◽  
pp. 11-20
Author(s):  
Ozdemir Kocak ◽  
Omur Esen
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ancient History ◽  
The North ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Middle Bronze Age ◽  
Prehistoric Settlements

Prehistoric settlements are prominent among the most important representatives of the cultural heritage in Turkey. These settlements are important for understanding the social, cultural, and economic conditions of the people who had lived in the past. As a matter of fact, these ancient settlements (mounds) and their locations to each other are taken as a basis in understanding the prehistoric routes. In this study, a route is identified beginning from the settlements in the north of a lake called Eber Gölü, which is located in the western part of Turkey. In this project, the study methods of Ancient History, Archaeology and Geodesy, and Photogrammetry Engineering are used. According to that, first old settlements are identified, three-dimensional maps of these settlements are created and dating is carried on based on the ceramics (sherds) that are found on the settlements. All of this data is then overlapped. Successive settlements are observed in the east-west direction in the north of Lake Eber. These settlements reach a large mound called Üçhöyük in the westernmost part. In the east, it extends in different directions. Findings dating back to the 5th millennium BC (Chalcolithic Age) were found in these mounds. It is understood that the ceramics among these finds reflect a common tradition. This also supports the connection between these settlements. It is also possible to see some of these settlements from other settlements by the naked eye. Thus, it can be thought that the settlements in the north of the aforesaid lake have been in contact with each other since the prehistoric period. It can also be said that this relationship started in the Chalcolithic Age, continued during the Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic Period, and Roman Period, because it is determined that the findings (especially sherds) belonging to these periods are very similar.

scholarly journals Gene-flow from steppe individuals into Cucuteni-Trypillia associated populations indicates long-standing contacts and gradual admixture

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Immel ◽  
Stanislav Țerna ◽  
Angela Simalcsik ◽  
Julian Susat ◽  
Oleg Šarov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Distribution Area ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Genetic Composition ◽  
Farming Communities ◽  
The People ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genome Wide Data

AbstractThe Cucuteni-Trypillia complex (CTC) flourished in eastern Europe for over two millennia (5100 – 2800 BCE) from the end of the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Its vast distribution area encompassed modern-day eastern Romania, Moldova and western/central Ukraine. Due to a lack of existing burials throughout most of this time, only little is known about of the people associated with this complex and their genetic composition. Here, we present genome-wide data generated from the skeletal remains of four females that were excavated from two Late CTC sites in Moldova (3500 – 3100 BCE). All individuals carried a large Neolithic-derived ancestry component and were genetically more closely related to Linear Pottery than to Anatolian farmers. Three of the specimens also showed considerable amounts of steppe-related ancestry, suggesting influx into the CTC gene-pool from people affiliated with, for instance, the Ukraine Mesolithic. The latter scenario is supported by archaeological evidence. Taken together, our results confirm that the steppe component had arrived in eastern Europe farming communities maybe as early as 3500 BCE. In addition, they are in agreement with the hypothesis of ongoing contacts and gradual admixture between incoming steppe and local western populations.

scholarly journals Male-biased migration from East Africa introduced pastoralism into southern Africa

BMC Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Vicente ◽  
Imke Lankheet ◽  
Thembi Russell ◽  
Nina Hollfelder ◽  
Vinet Coetzee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
African Ancestry ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Late Neolithic ◽  
East African ◽  
Genome Wide

Abstract Background Hunter-gatherer lifestyles dominated the southern African landscape up to ~ 2000 years ago, when herding and farming groups started to arrive in the area. First, herding and livestock, likely of East African origin, appeared in southern Africa, preceding the arrival of the large-scale Bantu-speaking agro-pastoralist expansion that introduced West African-related genetic ancestry into the area. Present-day Khoekhoe-speaking Namaqua (or Nama in short) pastoralists show high proportions of East African admixture, linking the East African ancestry with Khoekhoe herders. Most other historical Khoekhoe populations have, however, disappeared over the last few centuries and their contribution to the genetic structure of present-day populations is not well understood. In our study, we analyzed genome-wide autosomal and full mitochondrial data from a population who trace their ancestry to the Khoekhoe-speaking Hessequa herders from the southern Cape region of what is now South Africa. Results We generated genome-wide data from 162 individuals and mitochondrial DNA data of a subset of 87 individuals, sampled in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, where the Hessequa population once lived. Using available comparative data from Khoe-speaking and related groups, we aligned genetic date estimates and admixture proportions to the archaeological proposed dates and routes for the arrival of the East African pastoralists in southern Africa. We identified several Afro-Asiatic-speaking pastoralist groups from Ethiopia and Tanzania who share high affinities with the East African ancestry present in southern Africa. We also found that the East African pastoralist expansion was heavily male-biased, akin to a pastoralist migration previously observed on the genetic level in ancient Europe, by which Pontic-Caspian Steppe pastoralist groups represented by the Yamnaya culture spread across the Eurasian continent during the late Neolithic/Bronze Age. Conclusion We propose that pastoralism in southern Africa arrived through male-biased migration of an East African Afro-Asiatic-related group(s) who introduced new subsistence and livestock practices to local southern African hunter-gatherers. Our results add to the understanding of historical human migration and mobility in Africa, connected to the spread of food-producing and livestock practices.

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