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Genetic Chronicles of the Roman Empire: Unraveling Human Migrations through a New Paleogenetic Study
(A) 204 newly reported genomes (black circles) are shown alongside published genomes (gray circles), ordered by time and region (colored the same way as in B). (B) Sampling locations of newly reported (black) and published (gray) genomes are indicated by diamonds, sized according to the number of genomes at each location.
Throughout the extensive and illustrious history of the Roman Empire, populations connected in extraordinary ways through commercial routes, economic exchanges, imperial policies, and military enterprises. A recent study conducted by an international research group, in collaboration with the University of Padua and coordinated by Stanford University, utilized genetic material extracted from ancient skeletons to provide a detailed picture of migrations and long-distance movements during the heyday of the Roman Empire.
DNA Analysis
The research, published in the prestigious journal “eLife” on January 30, analyzed the DNA of thousands of ancient humans, including 204 who had not been previously sequenced. This analysis revealed the diversity of genetic ancestry across different regions of the Roman Empire. Surprisingly, at least 8% of individuals included in the study did not originate from the areas traditionally associated with Europe, Africa, or Asia where they were buried.
Impact of Commercial Routes and Military Movements
Prof. Luca Bondioli from the University of Padua, a co-author of the study, emphasized the importance of these new genetic analysis…
