A recent study of ancient DNA, co-led by Krishna R. Veeramah, PhD, from Stony Brook University, offers new insights into the formation and social structures of European rural communities after the fall of the Roman Empire. The research findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The study suggests that early medieval elites comprised multiple families with distinct genetic ancestries. Over time, these families intermarried and integrated genetically diverse newcomers from various social and cultural backgrounds.
The research team used paleogenomic, archaeological, and isotopic data to examine a community that utilized a cemetery in Collegno, Italy, for burials during the 6th to 8th centuries CE. They sequenced and analyzed genomes from 28 individuals buried there and incorporated data from 24 previously published genomes. Additionally, they studied patterns of social mobility, burial customs, and diet.
"When the Roman Empire collapsed, we did not really know much about how new communities formed," explains Veeramah. "Our study reveals that these elites were genetically surprisingly diverse."
Patrick Geary, PhD, from the Institute for Advanced Study adds: "In 2018, our team published a paper demonstrating genomic and cultural similarities between Collegno and Szólád in modern Hungary." He continues: "Our new study follows this Italian community's transformation over a century."
The researchers found that the Collegno community was initially organized around closely related elite families but evolved into an extended lineage spanning at least five generations. These individuals appeared to have higher societal rankings based on their richer diets and elaborate burial items.
The findings also indicate that while initially established by northern European elite families, the Collegno community later incorporated individuals from other origins and genetic backgrounds.
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