Evidence for dynastic succession among early Celtic elites

[Fabrice E]

Evidence for dynastic succession among early Celtic elites

The early Iron Age in France, Germany, and Switzerland, known as the West-Hallstattkreis, stands out as featuring the earliest evidence for supra-regional organisation north of the Alps. Often referred to as ‘early Celtic‘, suggesting tentative connections to later cultural phenomena, its societal and population structure remain enigmatic. Here, we present genomic and isotope data from 31 individuals from this context. We identify three biologically related groups spanning multiple elite burials as far as 100 km apart, supported by transregional individual mobility inferred from isotope data. These include a close biological relationship between two of the richest burial mounds of the Hallstatt culture. Bayesian modelling points to an avuncular relationship between the two individuals, which may suggest a practice of matrilineal dynastic succession in early Celtic elites. We show that their ancestry is shared on a broad geographic scale from Iberia throughout Central-Eastern Europe, undergoing decline after the late Iron Age.

The Lady of Vix and the Prince of Lavau may be present in this study, this seems promising, I can't wait to see the study published !

As the samples are available, is anyone capable of converting them to PLINK format and sending them to David for the G25 ?

[Riverman]

Also the yDNA haplogroups assignment would be great, since its one of the largest Hallstatt samples and might be more representative for Western Hallstatt than earlier ones.

[ambron]

As the abstract shows, further Celtic samples with Slavic genetics may appear. So far, we have about ten of them, including three M458.

[corrigendum]

Evidence for dynastic succession among early Celtic elites

The early Iron Age in France, Germany, and Switzerland, known as the West-Hallstattkreis, stands out as featuring the earliest evidence for supra-regional organisation north of the Alps. Often referred to as ‘early Celtic‘, suggesting tentative connections to later cultural phenomena, its societal and population structure remain enigmatic. Here, we present genomic and isotope data from 31 individuals from this context. We identify three biologically related groups spanning multiple elite burials as far as 100 km apart, supported by transregional individual mobility inferred from isotope data. These include a close biological relationship between two of the richest burial mounds of the Hallstatt culture. Bayesian modelling points to an avuncular relationship between the two individuals, which may suggest a practice of matrilineal dynastic succession in early Celtic elites. We show that their ancestry is shared on a broad geographic scale from Iberia throughout Central-Eastern Europe, undergoing decline after the late Iron Age.

A list of sites would be useful as the total number of samples likely includes data from individuals ranging from Iberia to Hungary.

[Hodo Scariti]

As the abstract shows, further Celtic samples with Slavic genetics may appear. So far, we have about ten of them, including three M458.

The source? What samples?

It would be interesting to know to which haplogroups do these and those celtic samples blong...

[ambron]

Hodo

Celts M458:

Singen 265
Dunaalmás 25524
Prague 13780

https://discover.familytreedna.com/y-dna/R-M458/tree

[GHurier]

A list of sites would be useful as the total number of samples likely includes data from individuals ranging from Iberia to Hungary.

List of labels :
"APG" 3 samples
"HEU" 2 samples
"HOC" 4 samples
"LWB" 3 samples
"SCN" 1 sample
"MBG" 17 samples
"BTB"  2 samples
"LAN" 1 sample

That is 33 samples campared to the claimed 31 individuals ...
I would suggest that "HEU" may stands for Heuneburg ... no clear idea yet for the others.
I suspect that these sites are localised around South-western Germany, Eastern France, and Switzerland ... I think that they trace the whole Celtic sphere using already published samples.

[Riverman]

A list of sites would be useful as the total number of samples likely includes data from individuals ranging from Iberia to Hungary.

List of labels :
"APG" 3 samples
"HEU" 2 samples
"HOC" 4 samples
"LWB" 3 samples
"SCN" 1 sample
"MBG" 17 samples
"BTB"  2 samples
"LAN" 1 sample

That is 33 samples campared to the claimed 31 individuals ...
I would suggest that "HEU" may stands for Heuneburg ... no clear idea yet for the others.
I suspect that these sites are localised around South-western Germany, Eastern France, and Switzerland ... I think that they trace the whole Celtic sphere using already published samples.

MBG is likely Magdalenenberg bei Villingen, a major Hallstatt site in South Western Germany:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalenenberg

There is a second one in Southern Austria (Carinthia), with a similar name, Magdalensberg:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalensberg_(Berg)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadt_auf_...dalensberg

More than half the samples are from this site (17), which is big. I guess its the German site, which would fit better in with the other Western Hallstatt sites. Aren't these completely new samples?

Again, would be great to see some yDNA if they are new and to get a link if they are old.

Paper from 2013 on the issue:
https://www.academia.edu/72751581/Zur_de...alenenberg

There are a couple of cremation burials on the site. The inhumatin burials were analysed, but at that time without ancient DNA, probably they gave it a shot with the new methods - back then they considered it too bad material for a DNA analysis.

[Orentil]

HOC = Hochdorf

LWB = Ludwigsburg

That‘s really fantastic

[Orentil]

APG Asperg, Kleinaspergle? But this is next to Ludwigsburg…

[Dewsloth]

Maybe we'll get some better hints about I17607 who was found in Hallstatt time/space but plots NW of the rest of those samples:

CZE_IA_Hallstatt_low_res:I17607,0.133173,0.12491,0.06939,0.060724,0.03139,0.009203,0.014571,0.005538,0,-0.020593,-0.005684,-0.000599,-0.008622,-0.010184,0.041938,-0.012596,-0.008345,0.023944,0.001257,0.010505,-0.009234,0.002844,0.012941,0.018075,0.013172

[Orentil]

A list of sites would be useful as the total number of samples likely includes data from individuals ranging from Iberia to Hungary.

List of labels :
"APG" 3 samples
"HEU" 2 samples
"HOC" 4 samples
"LWB" 3 samples
"SCN" 1 sample
"MBG" 17 samples
"BTB"  2 samples
"LAN" 1 sample

That is 33 samples campared to the claimed 31 individuals ...
I would suggest that "HEU" may stands for Heuneburg ... no clear idea yet for the others.
I suspect that these sites are localised around South-western Germany, Eastern France, and Switzerland ... I think that they trace the whole Celtic sphere using already published samples.

MBG is likely Magdalenenberg bei Villingen, a major Hallstatt site in South Western Germany:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalenenberg

There is a second one in Southern Austria (Carinthia), with a similar name, Magdalensberg:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalensberg_(Berg)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadt_auf_...dalensberg

More than half the samples are from this site (17), which is big. I guess its the German site, which would fit better in with the other Western Hallstatt sites. Aren't these completely new samples?

Again, would be great to see some yDNA if they are new and to get a link if they are old.

Paper from 2013 on the issue:
https://www.academia.edu/72751581/Zur_de...alenenberg

There are a couple of cremation burials on the site. The inhumatin burials were analysed, but at that time without ancient DNA, probably they gave it a shot with the new methods - back then they considered it too bad material for a DNA analysis.

I am very sure the German Magdalenenberg.

[Orentil]

BTB = Bettelbühl, next to the Heuneburg?

[Pylsteen]

HOC = Hochdorf

LWB = Ludwigsburg

That‘s really fantastic

O wow will the chieftain be among them?

[GHurier]

LAN = Langenenslingen ?
A bit to the north of Heuneburg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alte_Burg_...enslingen)