Huns and Xiongnu: Researchers have discovered genetic links between the ancient nomads of the Carpathian Basin.

The Huns emerged in Europe during the 370s, quickly establishing a powerful yet short-lived empire. Historians have long debated their origins, particularly whether they descended from the Xiongnu, a formidable nomadic confederation that disintegrated around 100 AD, writes Phys.org.

To investigate this, researchers analyzed the DNA of 370 individuals spanning approximately 800 years, from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD. These samples were collected from locations in the Mongolian steppes, Central Asia, and the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe.

Specifically, the study examined 35 newly sequenced genomes from burials dated to the 3rd-4th centuries in Kazakhstan and the 5th-6th centuries in the Carpathian Basin, including those exhibiting eastern or "steppe" traits typically associated with nomadic cultures.

This research, part of the HistoGenes project, involved geneticists, archaeologists, and historians, particularly experts from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. The study revealed that after the arrival of the Huns in the Carpathian Basin, no large groups of Asian or steppe populations settled there.

However, a small group associated with "eastern-type" burials exhibited significant East Asian genetic markers. In-depth analysis of genealogical connections uncovered a link: several individuals from the Hun period in Europe shared identical by descent (IBD) DNA segments with prominent members of the late Xiongnu elite, including one individual from a large Xiongnu burial.

This genetic connection suggests that the lineage of some Huns can be traced back to the late Xiongnu elite from the Mongolian steppes. Despite this connection, the genetic diversity of most Hun and post-Hun populations in the Carpathian Basin was vast.

Co-author of the study, Zsófia Rácz from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, noted that the DNA and archaeological data indicate a complex mixture of ancestries, suggesting migration and cultural interaction rather than a mass migration. Furthermore, the diversity found in the 5th-century "eastern-type" burials reflects a blend of cultural and genetic influences.

The study also highlighted the contrast between the Huns and the Avars, who arrived in Europe two centuries later. Unlike the Huns, the Avars migrated immediately after the fall of their East Asian empire, retaining a significant amount of East Asian ancestry until around 800 AD. In contrast, the ancestors of the Huns migrated westward over many generations, intermingling with the population across Eurasia.

This research offers new insights into the dynamic cultural and genetic landscape of the Carpathian Basin during the Hun period. While the Huns transformed the political environment, their genetic impact was limited outside the elite burials, with the general population largely maintaining European ancestry.

We also reported on a discovery in northwestern England. Archaeologists uncovered a Viking hall that turned out to be the largest found in Britain.