Goth migration induced changes in the matrilineal genetic structure of the central-east European population

Abstract

For years, the issues related to the origin of the Goths and their early migrations in the Iron Age have been a matter of hot debate among archaeologists. Unfortunately, the lack of new independent data has precluded the evaluation of the existing hypothesis. To overcome this problem, we initiated systematic studies of the populations inhabiting the contemporary territory of Poland during the Iron Age. Here, we present an analysis of mitochondrial DNA isolated from 27 individuals (collectively called the Mas-VBIA group) excavated from an Iron Age cemetery (dated to the 2 nd -4 th century A.D.) attributed to Goths and located near Masłomęcz, eastern Poland. We found that Mas-VBIA has similar genetic diversity to present-day Asian populations and higher diversity than that of contemporary Europeans. Our studies revealed close genetic links between the Mas-VBIA and two other Iron Age populations from the Jutland peninsula and from Kowalewko, located in western Poland. We disclosed the genetic connection between the Mas-VBIA and ancient Pontic-Caspian steppe groups. Similar connections were absent in the chronologically earlier Kowalewko and Jutland peninsula populations. The collected results seem to be consistent with the historical narrative that assumed that the Goths originated in southern Scandinavia; then, at least part of the Goth population moved south through the territory of contemporary Poland towards the Black Sea region, where they mixed with local populations and formed the Chernyakhov culture. Finally, a fraction of the Chernyakhov population returned to the southeast region of present-day Poland and established the archaeological formation called the “Masłomęcz group”.

Mitochondrial DNA Profiles of Individuals from a 12th Century Necropolis in Feldioara (Transylvania)

“…The population from Feldioara were compared to an ancient dataset consisting of 747 sequences of European populations and a Byzantine group [ 27 ]: Lombards from Italy [ 28 , 29 ] and Hungary [ 29 ], Avars [ 30 , 31 , 32 ], Vikings from Norway [ 33 ] and Denmark [ 34 ], medieval Basques [ 35 ], Italians [ 36 ], Bulgarians [ 37 ], medieval population of Conquest period from Hungary [ 30 , 38 ], medieval populations from Poland [ 39 ], Slovakia [ 40 ], Iceland [ 41 ], southeastern Romania [ 20 , 42 ] and Bavaria [ 43 ]. In addition to these medieval groups, an Iron Age population attributed to Goths [ 44 ] and a population from Italy dated to the Roman period [ 45 ] were used in comparative analyses. Characterizing spatio-temporal variables and mitochondrial haplogroup frequencies are given in Table S4 .…”

Analysis of oral microbiome from fossil human remains revealed the significant differences in virulence factors of modern and ancient Tannerella forsythia

“…The biological material came from archaeological sites distributed across Poland. In total we examined 344 ancient human teeth, including 161 Roman Iron Age and medieval individuals from our previous studies, detailed description is available in [28,50,51] and 183 medieval individuals from Ląd [37], Obłaczkowo [10], Brzeg [2], Gołuń [6], Poznań-Śródka [12], Opole [41], Końskie [9], Płońsk [20], Ostrów Lednicki [20], Dziekanowice [21], and Warszawa [5] (data to be published).…”

Phenotypic diversity of skulls in the Merovingian population (Norroy‐le‐Veneur cemetery, 7th century AD, Moselle, France) in the context of Early Medieval Europe

“…Despite the progress in our understanding of the demographic processes that took place in Europe from its first peopling, the map still has numerous blank spaces. Importantly, the majority of data are confined to Central-West Europe, whereas Eastern Europe is scarcely represented (Stolarek, Handschuh, Juras, et al, 2019). When Stolarek, Handschuh, Juras, et al (2019) analysed one population dated to the 2nd-4th century AD from eastern Poland, they found that Goths (the Mas-VBIA group) had similar genetic diversity to present-day Asian populations and higher diversity than that of contemporary Europeans.…”

“…Importantly, the majority of data are confined to Central-West Europe, whereas Eastern Europe is scarcely represented (Stolarek, Handschuh, Juras, et al, 2019). When Stolarek, Handschuh, Juras, et al (2019) analysed one population dated to the 2nd-4th century AD from eastern Poland, they found that Goths (the Mas-VBIA group) had similar genetic diversity to present-day Asian populations and higher diversity than that of contemporary Europeans. Their study revealed close genetic links between the Mas-VBIA and two other contemporary populations from the Jutland peninsula and Kowalewko (western Poland), as well as between the Mas-VBIA and ancient Pontic-Caspian steppe groups.…”

“…Despite the progress in our understanding of the demographic processes that took place in Europe from its first peopling, the map still has numerous blank spaces. Importantly, the majority of data are confined to Central–West Europe, whereas Eastern Europe is scarcely represented (Stolarek, Handschuh, Juras, et al, 2019).…”