Archeology: Ancient genomes reveal social organization and power restructuring in Avarian communities | Nature | Nature Portfolio

A detailed genealogy of the Avars (an ancient Eurasian nomadic group) who settled in eastern Central Europe between the 6th and 9th centuries has been created, revealing details of the group’s social structure and indicating a realignment of political power. We now have evidence that this is possible. A paper reporting this was published this week.NaturePublished in The study involved large-scale sampling of ancient DNA from about 300 people over nine generations to reconstruct the group structure, kinship, and social organization of the Avars.

The Avars were a powerful force in eastern Central Europe from the 6th to the 9th century. It is thought to have originated in eastern Central Asia (Eurasian Steppe) and reached the Carpathian Basin between 567 and 568 AD. The social customs of Avarian society have not been fully understood due to the lack of archaeological and historical information and the lack of comprehensive ancient DNA samples.

This time, Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone, Johannes Krause, Zuzana Hofmanová, Zsófia Rácz and colleagues have combined genomic data obtained from four cemeteries located in present-day Hungary with newly acquired isotopic data and detailed archaeological findings. It is reported that by combining the results of analysis of scientific and anthropological characteristics, clues were obtained to gain insight into the group structure and kinship social organization of the Avar community. The authors sampled DNA from 424 people buried in four cemeteries, and were able to use data from 298 of them to reconstruct genealogies and examine connections between communities. The results revealed that Avar society was patrilineal, with descent traceable only through father-son relationships, and where men lived their entire lives without leaving their natal communities. Women, on the other hand, were more mobile and may have connected different communities. There is also some evidence of polygamy (a system in which a man has two or more reproductive partners) and levirate marriage (a system in which a widowed woman becomes the partner of the deceased’s brother). ing. All of these kinship practices are consistent with existing research on Eurasian steppe societies.

One of the cemeteries studied existed throughout the Abar period. The authors found that there were genetic changes towards the end of the 7th century. One patrilineage that was dominant in the region was replaced by another, indicating a realignment of political power in the region.

doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07312-4

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