Abstract
The genetic composition of the medieval populations of Central Europe has been poorly investigated to date. In particular, the region of modern-day Slovakia is a blank spot in archaeogenetic research. This paper reports the study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ancient samples from the 9th–12th centuries originating from the cemeteries discovered in Nitra-Šindolka and Čakajovce, located in western Slovakia (Central Europe). This geographical region is interesting to study because its medieval multi-ethnic population lived in the so-called contact zone of the territory of the Great Moravian and later Hungarian state formations. We described 16 different mtDNA haplotypes in 19 individuals, which belong to the most widespread European mtDNA haplogroups: H, J, T, U and R0. Using comparative statistical and population genetic analyses, we showed the differentiation of the European gene pool in the medieval period. We also demonstrated the heterogeneous genetic characteristics of the investigated population and its affinity to the populations of modern Europe.
Highlights
The territory of Central Europe–including the Carpathian Basin–was a place of great migration events of populations in the past
We obtained mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from 19 of 28 analyzed samples originating from the medieval Nitra-Šindolka and Čakajovce cemeteries
The DNA of 19 individuals was extracted and amplified at least twice per individual from different skeletal elements, and the hypervariable region I (HVR I) fragments and other coding region positions were reproduced in several PCR products per extracts
Summary
The territory of Central Europe–including the Carpathian Basin–was a place of great migration events of populations in the past. Hungarians arrived into Central Europe from across the Carpathian Mountains and settled in the Danubian Basin in 895–896 AD [1,2]. This region had been settled before the Hungarians’ arrival by Dacians, Celts, Romans, Sarmatians, Huns, German tribes (Goths, Gepids, Lombards), Avars and others, but the majority of the indigenous population was Slavic. Sciences (Vedecká grantová agentúra Ministerstva školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky a Slovenskej akadémie vied) VEGA 1/0897/ 12 „Archaeogenetic research of contact zone from the 10th century in Slovakia“ (MaB) and later supported by the project of University Grant Agency of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra UGA VIII/5/2015 (VC). The grants funded the research but had no role in study desing data collection and analysis.
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