Quote:Archaeogenetic characterization reveals social endogamy among Samnite groups in ancient pre-Roman Italy (Pontecagnano, Campania, 5th-4th century BCE)
Abstract
The Samnites, prominent competitors of the Romans prior their dominance over the Italian peninsula in the 3rd century BCE, underwent a transformative cultural period known as the 'Samnitization process' between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. This marked a shift in the political structure of Italic populations, involving mobility of groups from inland central Italy to the Campania region in the south. While the analysis of topography, spatial organization, and material culture has shed light on these migrations, biosocial and biocultural aspects of this process remain largely unexplored. In this study, we integrated osteological and archaeological data with new genomic data obtained from the disarticulated petrous bones of 26 individuals inhumated in the funerary sector of Di Renna (5th–4th centuries BCE) within the eastern necropolis of the Etruscan-Campanian site of Pontecagnano (Salerno, southern Italy). The archaeological interpretation based on the grave goods allowed us to identify individuals belonging to Samnite groups; ‘aeroplano’ fibula was usually found in female and non-adult burials while males were adorned with bronze belt and spear. As for topography of Di Renna funerary sector, several family clusters were identified. Biocultural relatedness was supported by characterization of genetic kinship and detection of runs of homozygosity providing direct evidence of consanguineous marriage practices among cousins at high frequencies during 425-375 BCE, the later phase of the Samnitization. Genomic data also revealed that the ancestry of these individuals mainly arose from the Italian mainland, with some showing additional ancestry from the eastern Mediterranean. Our results shed light on the social organization of this ancient group and highlight the potential of archaeogenetic approaches for unravelling the interplay of genetic admixture, mating patterns, and marital practices associated to mobility in pre-Roman Italy.
Quote:Genetic ancestry and kinship practices in Middle Bronze Age Calabria
Abstract
Located at the center of the Mediterranean Basin, at the “tip” of the Italian boot, the territory of present-day Calabria is characterized by a richness in natural resources and an extremely inhomogeneous landscape. Its strategic position as a bridge to Sicily and its wealth in minerals spurred several waves of migrations and colonization of the region since the Early Neolithic up to the modern era, both on coastal and inner mountain areas. Moreover, coastal sites experienced millennia of maritime contacts. While more recent events, such as the Hellenic colonization, are well documented on the archaeological record, the demography of prehistoric native populations remains a topic of debate, mostly due to chronological discordance of the findings and a general lack of integrated archaeological research. As such, nearly no genetic information exists today for ancient Calabrian populations. Here, we present genome-wide data for 13 ancient humans found buried in the Middle Bronze Age cave site of Grotta della Monaca. Supported by archaeological evidence, we use paleogenomic data to decipher funerary customs, social organization, family ties, and gender-related burial practices of a Proto-Apennine community dated 1700-1380 cal BCE. We also contextualize the biogeographical origin and ancestry of prehistoric people of Calabria within the broad landscape of existing data from Mediterranean populations. We investigate the persistence of distinct genomic components, such as Near Eastern-related ancestry, for which we provide the earliest appearance in mainland southern Italy. We also highlight the first evidence for prehistoric Italy of close-kin incestuous mating, which we address in light of the existing archaeological, anthropological, sociological and historical knowledge.