Ancient genomes reveal origin and rapid trans-Eurasian migration of 7th century Avar elites

The Avars settled the Carpathian Basin in 567/68 CE, establishing an empire lasting over 200 years. Who they were and where they came from is highly debated. Contemporaries have disagreed about whether they were, as they claimed, the direct successors of the Mongolian Steppe Rouran empire that was d...

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Main Authors: Balogh, C. (Author), Benedek, A. (Author), Bernert, Z. (Author), Berta, N. (Author), Brandt, G. (Author), Cheronet, O. (Author), Csáky, V. (Author), Csiky, G. (Author), Czifra, S. (Author), Dani, J. (Author), Farkas, Z. (Author), Geary, P. (Author), Gnecchi-Ruscone, G.A (Author), Hága, T. (Author), Hajdu, T. (Author), Hofmanová, Z. (Author), Jászberényi, M. (Author), Jeong, C. (Author), Kisjuhász, V. (Author), Kolozsi, B. (Author), Koncz, I. (Author), Kovacsóczy, B.N (Author), Krause, J. (Author), Lezsák, G.M (Author), Major, P. (Author), Marcsik, A. (Author), Mende, B.G (Author), Ódor, J.G (Author), Pinhasi, R. (Author), Pohl, W. (Author), Rácz, T.Á (Author), Rácz, Z. (Author), Reich, D. (Author), Rohland, N. (Author), Rohrlach, A.B (Author), Szécsényi-Nagy, A. (Author), Szeifert, B. (Author), Szelekovszky, M. (Author), Szeniczey, T. (Author), Tárnoki, J. (Author), Tóth, Z. (Author), Tutkovics, E.K (Author), Vida, T. (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier B.V. 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:View Fulltext in Publisher
LEADER 03333nam a2200745Ia 4500
001 10-1016-j-cell-2022-03-007
008 220425s2022 CNT 000 0 und d
020 |a 00928674 (ISSN) 
245 1 0 |a Ancient genomes reveal origin and rapid trans-Eurasian migration of 7th century Avar elites 
260 0 |b Elsevier B.V.  |c 2022 
856 |z View Fulltext in Publisher  |u https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.007 
520 3 |a The Avars settled the Carpathian Basin in 567/68 CE, establishing an empire lasting over 200 years. Who they were and where they came from is highly debated. Contemporaries have disagreed about whether they were, as they claimed, the direct successors of the Mongolian Steppe Rouran empire that was destroyed by the Turks in ∼550 CE. Here, we analyze new genome-wide data from 66 pre-Avar and Avar-period Carpathian Basin individuals, including the 8 richest Avar-period burials and further elite sites from Avar's empire core region. Our results provide support for a rapid long-distance trans-Eurasian migration of Avar-period elites. These individuals carried Northeast Asian ancestry matching the profile of preceding Mongolian Steppe populations, particularly a genome available from the Rouran period. Some of the later elite individuals carried an additional non-local ancestry component broadly matching the steppe, which could point to a later migration or reflect greater genetic diversity within the initial migrant population. © 2022 The Authors 
650 0 4 |a ancient DNA 
650 0 4 |a Avars 
650 0 4 |a Carpathian Basin 
650 0 4 |a early medieval 
650 0 4 |a human migration 
650 0 4 |a migration period 
650 0 4 |a Pannonia 
650 0 4 |a population genomics 
650 0 4 |a steppe nomads 
700 1 |a Balogh, C.  |e author 
700 1 |a Benedek, A.  |e author 
700 1 |a Bernert, Z.  |e author 
700 1 |a Berta, N.  |e author 
700 1 |a Brandt, G.  |e author 
700 1 |a Cheronet, O.  |e author 
700 1 |a Csáky, V.  |e author 
700 1 |a Csiky, G.  |e author 
700 1 |a Czifra, S.  |e author 
700 1 |a Dani, J.  |e author 
700 1 |a Farkas, Z.  |e author 
700 1 |a Geary, P.  |e author 
700 1 |a Gnecchi-Ruscone, G.A.  |e author 
700 1 |a Hága, T.  |e author 
700 1 |a Hajdu, T.  |e author 
700 1 |a Hofmanová, Z.  |e author 
700 1 |a Jászberényi, M.  |e author 
700 1 |a Jeong, C.  |e author 
700 1 |a Kisjuhász, V.  |e author 
700 1 |a Kolozsi, B.  |e author 
700 1 |a Koncz, I.  |e author 
700 1 |a Kovacsóczy, B.N.  |e author 
700 1 |a Krause, J.  |e author 
700 1 |a Lezsák, G.M.  |e author 
700 1 |a Major, P.  |e author 
700 1 |a Marcsik, A.  |e author 
700 1 |a Mende, B.G.  |e author 
700 1 |a Ódor, J.G.  |e author 
700 1 |a Pinhasi, R.  |e author 
700 1 |a Pohl, W.  |e author 
700 1 |a Rácz, T.Á.  |e author 
700 1 |a Rácz, Z.  |e author 
700 1 |a Reich, D.  |e author 
700 1 |a Rohland, N.  |e author 
700 1 |a Rohrlach, A.B.  |e author 
700 1 |a Szécsényi-Nagy, A.  |e author 
700 1 |a Szeifert, B.  |e author 
700 1 |a Szelekovszky, M.  |e author 
700 1 |a Szeniczey, T.  |e author 
700 1 |a Tárnoki, J.  |e author 
700 1 |a Tóth, Z.  |e author 
700 1 |a Tutkovics, E.K.  |e author 
700 1 |a Vida, T.  |e author 
773 |t Cell