A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations

Iñigo Olalde; Pablo Carrión; Ilija Mikić; Nadin Rohland; Swapan Mallick; Iosif Lazaridis; Matthew Mah; Miomir Korać; Snežana Golubović; Sofija Petković; Nataša Miladinović-Radmilović; Dragana Vulović; Timka Alihodžić; Abigail Ash; Miriam Baeta; Juraj Bartík; Željka Bedić; Maja Bilić; Clive Bonsall; Maja Bunčić; Domagoj Bužanić; Mario Carić; Lea Čataj; Mirna Cvetko; Ivan Drnić; Anita Dugonjić; Ana Đukić; Ksenija Đukić; Zdeněk Farkaš; Pavol Jelínek; Marija Jovanovic; Iva Kaić; Hrvoje Kalafatić; Marijana Krmpotić; Siniša Krznar; Tino Leleković; Marian M de Pancorbo; Vinka Matijević; Branka Milošević Zakić; Anna J Osterholtz; Julianne M Paige; Dinko Tresić Pavičić; Zrinka Premužić; Petra Rajić Šikanjić; Anita Rapan Papeša; Lujana Paraman; Mirjana Sanader; Ivana Radovanović; Mirjana Roksandic; Alena Šefčáková; Sofia Stefanović; Maria Teschler-Nicola; Domagoj Tončinić; Brina Zagorc; Kim Callan; Francesca Candilio; Olivia Cheronet; Daniel Fernandes; Aisling Kearns; Ann Marie Lawson; Kirsten Mandl; Anna Wagner; Fatma Zalzala; Anna Zettl; Željko Tomanović; Dušan Keckarević; Mario Novak; Kyle Harper; Michael McCormick; Ron Pinhasi; Miodrag Grbić; Carles Lalueza-Fox; David Reich

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018

A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations

Iñigo Olalde (Corresponding author), Pablo Carrión, Ilija Mikić, Nadin Rohland, Swapan Mallick, Iosif Lazaridis, Matthew Mah, Miomir Korać, Snežana Golubović, Sofija Petković, Nataša Miladinović-Radmilović, Dragana Vulović, Timka Alihodžić, Abigail Ash, Miriam Baeta, Juraj Bartík, Željka Bedić, Maja Bilić, Clive Bonsall, Maja BunčićDomagoj Bužanić, Mario Carić, Lea Čataj, Mirna Cvetko, Ivan Drnić, Anita Dugonjić, Ana Đukić, Ksenija Đukić, Zdeněk Farkaš, Pavol Jelínek, Marija Jovanovic, Iva Kaić, Hrvoje Kalafatić, Marijana Krmpotić, Siniša Krznar, Tino Leleković, Marian M de Pancorbo, Vinka Matijević, Branka Milošević Zakić, Anna J Osterholtz, Julianne M Paige, Dinko Tresić Pavičić, Zrinka Premužić, Petra Rajić Šikanjić, Anita Rapan Papeša, Lujana Paraman, Mirjana Sanader, Ivana Radovanović, Mirjana Roksandic, Alena Šefčáková, Sofia Stefanović, Maria Teschler-Nicola, Domagoj Tončinić, Brina Zagorc, Kim Callan, Francesca Candilio, Olivia Cheronet, Daniel Fernandes, Aisling Kearns, Ann Marie Lawson, Kirsten Mandl, Anna Wagner, Fatma Zalzala, Anna Zettl, Željko Tomanović, Dušan Keckarević, Mario Novak, Kyle Harper, Michael McCormick, Ron Pinhasi, Miodrag Grbić, Carles Lalueza-Fox, David Reich (Corresponding author)

Department of Evolutionary Anthropology

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was a socio-political process with enormous ramifications for human history. The Middle Danube was a crucial frontier and a crossroads for population and cultural movement. Here, we present genome-wide data from 136 Balkan individuals dated to the 1 st millennium CE. Despite extensive militarization and cultural influence, we find little ancestry contribution from peoples of Italic descent. However, we trace a large-scale influx of people of Anatolian ancestry during the Imperial period. Between ∼250 and 550 CE, we detect migrants with ancestry from Central/Northern Europe and the Steppe, confirming that "barbarian" migrations were propelled by ethnically diverse confederations. Following the end of Roman control, we detect the large-scale arrival of individuals who were genetically similar to modern Eastern European Slavic-speaking populations, who contributed 30%-60% of the ancestry of Balkan people, representing one of the largest permanent demographic changes anywhere in Europe during the Migration Period.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5472-5485.e9
Journal	Cell
Volume	186
Issue number	25
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018
Publication status	Published - 7 Dec 2023

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

106018 Human biology

Keywords

ancient DNA
archaeogenetics
Balkan Peninsula
cosmopolitanism
demographic changes
Great Migration Period
population dynamics
Slavic migrations
the Roman Empire

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10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018

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Olalde, I., Carrión, P., Mikić, I., Rohland, N., Mallick, S., Lazaridis, I., Mah, M., Korać, M., Golubović, S., Petković, S., Miladinović-Radmilović, N., Vulović, D., Alihodžić, T., Ash, A., Baeta, M., Bartík, J., Bedić, Ž., Bilić, M., Bonsall, C., ... Reich, D. (2023). A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations. Cell, 186(25), 5472-5485.e9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018

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abstract = "The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was a socio-political process with enormous ramifications for human history. The Middle Danube was a crucial frontier and a crossroads for population and cultural movement. Here, we present genome-wide data from 136 Balkan individuals dated to the 1 st millennium CE. Despite extensive militarization and cultural influence, we find little ancestry contribution from peoples of Italic descent. However, we trace a large-scale influx of people of Anatolian ancestry during the Imperial period. Between ∼250 and 550 CE, we detect migrants with ancestry from Central/Northern Europe and the Steppe, confirming that {"}barbarian{"} migrations were propelled by ethnically diverse confederations. Following the end of Roman control, we detect the large-scale arrival of individuals who were genetically similar to modern Eastern European Slavic-speaking populations, who contributed 30%-60% of the ancestry of Balkan people, representing one of the largest permanent demographic changes anywhere in Europe during the Migration Period. ",

keywords = "ancient DNA, archaeogenetics, Balkan Peninsula, cosmopolitanism, demographic changes, Great Migration Period, population dynamics, Slavic migrations, the Roman Empire",

author = "I{\~n}igo Olalde and Pablo Carri{\'o}n and Ilija Miki{\'c} and Nadin Rohland and Swapan Mallick and Iosif Lazaridis and Matthew Mah and Miomir Kora{\'c} and Sne{\v z}ana Golubovi{\'c} and Sofija Petkovi{\'c} and Nata{\v s}a Miladinovi{\'c}-Radmilovi{\'c} and Dragana Vulovi{\'c} and Timka Alihod{\v z}i{\'c} and Abigail Ash and Miriam Baeta and Juraj Bart{\'i}k and {\v Z}eljka Bedi{\'c} and Maja Bili{\'c} and Clive Bonsall and Maja Bun{\v c}i{\'c} and Domagoj Bu{\v z}ani{\'c} and Mario Cari{\'c} and Lea {\v C}ataj and Mirna Cvetko and Ivan Drni{\'c} and Anita Dugonji{\'c} and Ana {\D}uki{\'c} and Ksenija {\D}uki{\'c} and Zden{\v e}k Farka{\v s} and Pavol Jel{\'i}nek and Marija Jovanovic and Iva Kai{\'c} and Hrvoje Kalafati{\'c} and Marijana Krmpoti{\'c} and Sini{\v s}a Krznar and Tino Lelekovi{\'c} and {M de Pancorbo}, Marian and Vinka Matijevi{\'c} and {Milo{\v s}evi{\'c} Zaki{\'c}}, Branka and Osterholtz, {Anna J} and Paige, {Julianne M} and {Tresi{\'c} Pavi{\v c}i{\'c}}, Dinko and Zrinka Premu{\v z}i{\'c} and {Raji{\'c} {\v S}ikanji{\'c}}, Petra and {Rapan Pape{\v s}a}, Anita and Lujana Paraman and Mirjana Sanader and Ivana Radovanovi{\'c} and Mirjana Roksandic and Alena {\v S}ef{\v c}{\'a}kov{\'a} and Sofia Stefanovi{\'c} and Maria Teschler-Nicola and Domagoj Ton{\v c}ini{\'c} and Brina Zagorc and Kim Callan and Francesca Candilio and Olivia Cheronet and Daniel Fernandes and Aisling Kearns and Lawson, {Ann Marie} and Kirsten Mandl and Anna Wagner and Fatma Zalzala and Anna Zettl and {\v Z}eljko Tomanovi{\'c} and Du{\v s}an Keckarevi{\'c} and Mario Novak and Kyle Harper and Michael McCormick and Ron Pinhasi and Miodrag Grbi{\'c} and Carles Lalueza-Fox and David Reich",

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month = dec,

day = "7",

doi = "10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018",

language = "English",

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Olalde, I, Carrión, P, Mikić, I, Rohland, N, Mallick, S, Lazaridis, I, Mah, M, Korać, M, Golubović, S, Petković, S, Miladinović-Radmilović, N, Vulović, D, Alihodžić, T, Ash, A, Baeta, M, Bartík, J, Bedić, Ž, Bilić, M, Bonsall, C, Bunčić, M, Bužanić, D, Carić, M, Čataj, L, Cvetko, M, Drnić, I, Dugonjić, A, Đukić, A, Đukić, K, Farkaš, Z, Jelínek, P, Jovanovic, M, Kaić, I, Kalafatić, H, Krmpotić, M, Krznar, S, Leleković, T, M de Pancorbo, M, Matijević, V, Milošević Zakić, B, Osterholtz, AJ, Paige, JM, Tresić Pavičić, D, Premužić, Z, Rajić Šikanjić, P, Rapan Papeša, A, Paraman, L, Sanader, M, Radovanović, I, Roksandic, M, Šefčáková, A, Stefanović, S, Teschler-Nicola, M, Tončinić, D, Zagorc, B, Callan, K, Candilio, F, Cheronet, O, Fernandes, D, Kearns, A, Lawson, AM, Mandl, K, Wagner, A, Zalzala, F, Zettl, A, Tomanović, Ž, Keckarević, D, Novak, M, Harper, K, McCormick, M, Pinhasi, R, Grbić, M, Lalueza-Fox, C & Reich, D 2023, 'A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations', Cell, vol. 186, no. 25, pp. 5472-5485.e9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018

TY - JOUR

T1 - A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations

AU - Olalde, Iñigo

AU - Carrión, Pablo

AU - Mikić, Ilija

AU - Rohland, Nadin

AU - Mallick, Swapan

AU - Lazaridis, Iosif

AU - Mah, Matthew

AU - Korać, Miomir

AU - Golubović, Snežana

AU - Petković, Sofija

AU - Miladinović-Radmilović, Nataša

AU - Vulović, Dragana

AU - Alihodžić, Timka

AU - Ash, Abigail

AU - Baeta, Miriam

AU - Bartík, Juraj

AU - Bedić, Željka

AU - Bilić, Maja

AU - Bonsall, Clive

AU - Bunčić, Maja

AU - Bužanić, Domagoj

AU - Carić, Mario

AU - Čataj, Lea

AU - Cvetko, Mirna

AU - Drnić, Ivan

AU - Dugonjić, Anita

AU - Đukić, Ana

AU - Đukić, Ksenija

AU - Farkaš, Zdeněk

AU - Jelínek, Pavol

AU - Jovanovic, Marija

AU - Kaić, Iva

AU - Kalafatić, Hrvoje

AU - Krmpotić, Marijana

AU - Krznar, Siniša

AU - Leleković, Tino

AU - M de Pancorbo, Marian

AU - Matijević, Vinka

AU - Milošević Zakić, Branka

AU - Osterholtz, Anna J

AU - Paige, Julianne M

AU - Tresić Pavičić, Dinko

AU - Premužić, Zrinka

AU - Rajić Šikanjić, Petra

AU - Rapan Papeša, Anita

AU - Paraman, Lujana

AU - Sanader, Mirjana

AU - Radovanović, Ivana

AU - Roksandic, Mirjana

AU - Šefčáková, Alena

AU - Stefanović, Sofia

AU - Teschler-Nicola, Maria

AU - Tončinić, Domagoj

AU - Zagorc, Brina

AU - Callan, Kim

AU - Candilio, Francesca

AU - Cheronet, Olivia

AU - Fernandes, Daniel

AU - Kearns, Aisling

AU - Lawson, Ann Marie

AU - Mandl, Kirsten

AU - Wagner, Anna

AU - Zalzala, Fatma

AU - Zettl, Anna

AU - Tomanović, Željko

AU - Keckarević, Dušan

AU - Novak, Mario

AU - Harper, Kyle

AU - McCormick, Michael

AU - Pinhasi, Ron

AU - Grbić, Miodrag

AU - Lalueza-Fox, Carles

AU - Reich, David

PY - 2023/12/7

Y1 - 2023/12/7

N2 - The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was a socio-political process with enormous ramifications for human history. The Middle Danube was a crucial frontier and a crossroads for population and cultural movement. Here, we present genome-wide data from 136 Balkan individuals dated to the 1 st millennium CE. Despite extensive militarization and cultural influence, we find little ancestry contribution from peoples of Italic descent. However, we trace a large-scale influx of people of Anatolian ancestry during the Imperial period. Between ∼250 and 550 CE, we detect migrants with ancestry from Central/Northern Europe and the Steppe, confirming that "barbarian" migrations were propelled by ethnically diverse confederations. Following the end of Roman control, we detect the large-scale arrival of individuals who were genetically similar to modern Eastern European Slavic-speaking populations, who contributed 30%-60% of the ancestry of Balkan people, representing one of the largest permanent demographic changes anywhere in Europe during the Migration Period.

AB - The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was a socio-political process with enormous ramifications for human history. The Middle Danube was a crucial frontier and a crossroads for population and cultural movement. Here, we present genome-wide data from 136 Balkan individuals dated to the 1 st millennium CE. Despite extensive militarization and cultural influence, we find little ancestry contribution from peoples of Italic descent. However, we trace a large-scale influx of people of Anatolian ancestry during the Imperial period. Between ∼250 and 550 CE, we detect migrants with ancestry from Central/Northern Europe and the Steppe, confirming that "barbarian" migrations were propelled by ethnically diverse confederations. Following the end of Roman control, we detect the large-scale arrival of individuals who were genetically similar to modern Eastern European Slavic-speaking populations, who contributed 30%-60% of the ancestry of Balkan people, representing one of the largest permanent demographic changes anywhere in Europe during the Migration Period.

KW - ancient DNA

KW - archaeogenetics

KW - Balkan Peninsula

KW - cosmopolitanism

KW - demographic changes

KW - Great Migration Period

KW - population dynamics

KW - Slavic migrations

KW - the Roman Empire

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85179070513&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018

DO - 10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018

M3 - Article

C2 - 38065079

SN - 0092-8674

VL - 186

SP - 5472-5485.e9

JO - Cell

JF - Cell

IS - 25

ER -

A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations

Abstract

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

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