Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages cemetery in the Eastern Italian Alps

[Riverman]

Ancestry and kinship in a Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages cemetery in the Eastern Italian Alps

In South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps) during Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages, archeological records indicate cultural hybridization among alpine groups and peoples of various origin. Using paleogenomics, we reconstructed the ancestry of 20 individuals (4th-7th cent. AD) from a cemetery to analyse whether they had heterogeneous or homogenous ancestry and to study their social organization. The results revealed a primary genetic ancestry from southern Europe and additional ancestries from south-western, western and northern Europe suggesting that cultural hybridization was accompanied by complex genetic admixture. Kinship analyses found no genetic relatedness between the only two individuals buried with grave goods. Instead, a father-son pair was discovered in one multiple grave, together with unrelated individuals and one possible non-local female. These genetic findings indicate the presence of a high social status familia which is supported by the cultural materials and the proximity of the grave to the most sacred area of the church.

https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S...23)02292-7

Two E1b1b individuals appear in the samples:

2069 phase2 Area 8, US113 XY 40-45 I2 E1b1b1
2425 phase2 Area 8, US112 XY 35-40 H1e E1b1b1a1b1a

2069 is also rather Southern (TSI-like), but with a bit of Germanic admixture (around 7 % according to the paper). Why they used Finn rather than German or Scandinavian is beyond me.
In any case, both E1b1b individuals have a rather Southern profile with a bit of Northern admixture/shift.

A subclade would have been interesting to know and hopefully the coordinates get out soon, because the components used in the paper are rather insufficient IMHO.

[Mitchell-Atkins]

haplogroup R1b1a2a1a2b1c2* for the other couple (2417/2404). Nevertheless, the latter pair differs for the last mutation, which is R-A1168 T>C (defining R1b1a2a1a2b1c2b1a) for sample 2417 and R-S8183 G>T (R1b1a2a1a2b1c2) for the other sample. However, the SNPs which define more derived R sub-lineages than R-S8183 found in sample 2404 were not covered, due to the absence of reads at this position or for low quality data, so we cannot exclude that this individual carried the same haplogroup as 2417.

They are using 2015 ISOGG.


2 R1b1a2a1a2b1c2 samples would be. U152>L2>Z49>S8183.

There is also a U152>L2>S255>L20 sample

[VladMC]

https://www.cell.com/iscience/pdf/S2589-...2292-7.pdf

[Capsian20]

Thanks you Riverman
Well for samples J-M304 (J) it's seems to me this samples low coverage this samples but I think likely belong a Haplogroup J2 but possible also Haplogroup J1 ( caucasus and Anatolian Subclades )
Who has G25 this samples ?

[Capsian20]

haplogroup R1b1a2a1a2b1c2* for the other couple (2417/2404). Nevertheless, the latter pair differs for the last mutation, which is R-A1168 T>C (defining R1b1a2a1a2b1c2b1a) for sample 2417 and R-S8183 G>T (R1b1a2a1a2b1c2) for the other sample. However, the SNPs which define more derived R sub-lineages than R-S8183 found in sample 2404 were not covered, due to the absence of reads at this position or for low quality data, so we cannot exclude that this individual carried the same haplogroup as 2417.

They are using 2015 ISOGG.
2 R1b1a2a1a2b1c2 samples would be. U152>L2>Z49>S8183.
There is also a U152>L2>S255>L20 sample

I was looking in ISOGG 2019 but i didn't find subclades Haplogroup R1b
so they are using ISOGG 2015
 is seems to me are local R-U152 is subclades Roman-Gauls ?
Thanks

[ChrisR]

Thanks JackDev, Riverman and VladMC. Missed this so far. Finally something seems to happen beside Ötzi the Iceman for the Central Alps, allthough 20 individuals (4th-7th cent. AD, Mals St. Stephan ob Burgeis located in the Vinschgau/Venosta valley in the north-western area of South Tyrol bordering to Grisons Switzerland and Landeck area in North Tyrol) is only a glimpse into the interesting LBA to MA period. Note that this area is known to have had Rhaeto-Romanic as main language until the 17th century - in difference to the majority of Northern, Central and Eastern South Tyrol valleys which were using German by 12th century or even earlier.
In the PDF:

Data and code availability
The raw data (FASTQ files) for each library generated and used in this study have been submitted
at the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) with the accession number PRJEB60362 and are
publicly available as of the date of publication.
All codes used in this study and other previously published genomic data is available at the
sources referenced in the key resources table.
Any additional information required to reanalyze the data reported in this paper is available from
the lead contact upon request.

Its seems there is nothing online yet but hopefully HQ data for G25 and also Y/mt-data will be included:
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB60362

See also my 2012 map trying to show main population influences and differences in South Tyrol:

[ChrisR]

Hopefully the basal Y: I, J and R1(a/b) samples with raw data can be assigned to BA or not much older haplogroups.
Not having more G2a results is a little intriguing unless the sampleset is not representing the median population averages at the time (more middle and elite class).
The ancient PCA plot could be more informative when using only IA (maybe with early Roman) results as reference - btw: the text in the figure is not selectable/included (converted to paths) otherwise a simple edit could be done - maybe I will try to hide all non IA samples.

Here Table 1 with Admix results and Y-SNP info added:
   

[Sailgios]

Fortunately there's a PCA plot in the study, because these models using modern populations are dreadful

[Sephesakueu]

3 J-M304s with no further reads ? Another study that completely disregards J Y-DNA, sometimes I think this neglection is not a coincidence.

[ChrisR]

I reworked the ancient PCA to emphasize the IA comparison and took the liberty to add EEF-CeltoItalic (less Steppe) and CeltoGerman-EEF (more Steppe) clusters.
It seems EarlyMed Vinschgau/Venosta samples are (as expected) mostly in the EEF-CeltoItalic admixture with 2426 and 2419 the only slight outliers in direction of the "Imperial/LA urban Italy/Mediterranean" admixture.
   

[Capsian20]

3  J-M304s with no further reads ? Another study that completely disregards J Y-DNA, sometimes I think this neglection is not a coincidence.

maybe low coverage this samples cause this

[pelop]

Hopefully the basal Y: I, J and R1(a/b) samples with raw data can be assigned to BA or not much older haplogroups.
Not having more G2a results is a little intriguing unless the sampleset is not representing the median population averages at the time (more middle and elite class).
The ancient PCA plot could be more informative when using only IA (maybe with early Roman) results as reference - btw: the text in the figure is not selectable/included (converted to paths) otherwise a simple edit could be done - maybe I will try to hide all non IE samples.

Here Table 1 with Admix results and Y-SNP info added:

It's a single cemetery from a specific area so hardly a representative sample, but it's nice that we're starting to get more Alpine ancient DNA results. The R1b and G2a seem local in the Alpine region, the J is a question mark, can't really say anything without further info. The I2a (I-L699) is interesting because it's a very rare branch in Europe, it's possible that this one was brought with barbarian groups from eastern Europe along with the R1a but could also have a Balkan or Anatolian origin. R1a could also be from other contexts of course. As for E-V13, we have already seen that Balkan people, Imperial Romans and some barbarian groups all carried it by that period so it's hard to say.

[ChrisR]

Fortunately there's a PCA plot in the study, because these models using modern populations are dreadful

In the modern PCA comparison it is even more evident that 2405 is nearest to a Basque/Iberian admixture and 2427 nearest into the EEF/Sardinian/Ötzi admixture.
When looking at the main claims/highlights (numbered by me):

a) High genetic complexity in individuals from a single small medieval alpine cemetery
b) Ancestry primarily from south Europe, with only few possible non-local individuals
c) Cultural hybridization and complex genetic admixture in South Tyrol
d) A multiple burial hosts a father-son couple who belonged to a high-ranking familia

My first reaction is:
a) ok, seems correct (also looking at the Y-diversity), but in the main valley ground I would not have expected a population isolate (at that time) with homogeneous admixture.
b) I think this could be interpreted wrongly: I would say "clearly EEF-CeltoItalic" so less Steppe, with the German push southwards not (yet) visible. Unfortunately I have no "pure" modern Vinschgau/Venosta main valley samples to eventually verify with G25 how much "Germanic" (including earlier Celtic Steppe) came after this time.
c) Seems correct for the main valleys, but I think only with a lot more samples from IA to late Med from all valleys of the Inn-Etsch-Adige Alpine area this could be really verified in all of the range of variety. And probably some side valley are constant PMI (population micro isolates) with a lot less diversity and admixture change except for a few incoming settlers creating new farms.
d) I had only a quick look at 2419 (estimated as father) + 2423 (son, +GBR) both in Y-Hg J. So it seems the father was from the old "Rhaeto-Roman type" while the mother was from an origin with more Celtic/Steppe influence. I very much hope a recent Y-Hg can be determined, hopefully with matches in IA/Roman time so to get useful additional information. Looking at Tyrol DNA project my bet is on the following subclade:
J2a⇾M67⇾⇾L210⇾Z459⇾L227⇾FT114604⇾CTS5598,CTS7577 (sharing 3000 years TMRCA to Central Italy/Tuscany and Iberia samples).
Less clear but also possible is
J2a⇾M67⇾⇾Z30685,Y17946⇾Y150765
J2a⇾M67⇾⇾Z467⇾S25258⇾⇾SK1336
J2b-L283 or J2a-L25>L70
Anything else is also possible since so few modern samples and locations (with enough res.) are public.

[Riverman]

The paper is now out - is the raw data available already or even G25 coordinates?

https://genarchivist.com/showthread.php?...15#pid4315

[Genetics189291]

Does anyone know if the raw data is out yet so we can get these onto g25 thanks