Ancient genomes reveal origin and rapid trans-Eurasian migration of 7th century Avar elites.

The Avars settled the Carpathian Basin in 567/68 CE, establishing an empire lasting over 200 years. Who they were and where they came from is highly debated. Contemporaries have disagreed about whether they were, as they claimed, the direct successors of the Mongolian Steppe Rouran empire that was destroyed by the Turks in ∼550 CE. Here, we analyze new genome-wide data from 66 pre-Avar and Avar-period Carpathian Basin individuals, including the 8 richest Avar-period burials and further elite sites from Avar's empire core region. Our results provide support for a rapid long-distance trans-Eurasian migration of Avar-period elites. These individuals carried Northeast Asian ancestry matching the profile of preceding Mongolian Steppe populations, particularly a genome available from the Rouran period. Some of the later elite individuals carried an additional non-local ancestry component broadly matching the steppe, which could point to a later migration or reflect greater genetic diversity within the initial migrant population.

[COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION OF CRANIAL LESIONS, A PALEORADIOLOGICAL APPROACH]. / KOPONYACSONT-LAESIÓK KOMPUTERTOMOGRÁFIÁS VIZSGÁLATA ÉS PALEORADIOLÓGIAI ASPEKTUSAI.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Introducing the multidisciplinary paleoradiology research at the Institute of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Oncology of the Kaposvár University, highlighting the cases with potential central nervous system involvement--from the scanning methods to the 3D printing--in order to draw attention to the historical background and clinical aspects of certain pathological conditions. METHODS: The authors developed the examination protocols for three different CT scanners. Among the examined archaeological remains cranial lesions were identified in 26 cases, from which 4 cases with potential central nervous system involvement are demonstrated. The scanning parameters and the advantages of secondary image reconstructions (multiplanar reconstruction, maximum intensity projection, three-dimensional volume rendering technique) are presented with the cases. RESULTS: The authors demonstrate a case with destructive skull lesions due to syphilis from the 15th century AD, a condition rarely seen or even unknown nowadays in the modern world. With the CT images of the skull base fracture from the Iron Age, signs of healing could be verified. Using the CT images a non-invasive approach is presented in the case of the craniofacial osteosarcoma in order to visualize the local status and the direct intracranial propagation. Advantages of the 3D VRT reconstructions are shown in the case of unilateral coronal suture synostosis. CONCLUSION: Paleoradiological CT examinations serve as a non-invasive, non-destructive tool for studying archaeological remains and artifacts. The special applications provided by the imaging modality contribute to the conventional paleopathological investigations.

Skeletal metastatic carcinomas from the Roman period (1st to 5th Century AD) in Hungary.

OBJECTIVES: According to paleopathological records, tumors have a great antiquity. The prevalence of cancer in ancient populations might have differed from that in modern humans because of substantial differences in environmental factors, life expectancy and the availability of treatment. This study presents 3 cases of probable skeletal metastatic carcinoma from the Roman period (1st-5th century AD) in Hungary, showing the development of bone metastases of cancer without chemo- and radiotherapy. METHODS: All skeletons were subjected to a careful macroscopic investigation, which was extended by radiological, stereo- and scanning electron microscopic analyses. RESULTS: In 1 case, the mixed nature and localization of the lesions, as well as the sex and age of the individual, suggested breast cancer as the primary focus. In the other 2 cases, based on the mostly osteoblastic nature and the localization of the lesions as well as on the sex and age of the individuals, the most probable diagnostic option is prostate carcinoma with skeletal metastases. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the scarcity of cancer metastases that have been diagnosed in archeological specimens in general, identification of all examples of cancer in antiquity represents an important contribution both to paleopathology and to modern medicine.

Fine-scale sampling uncovers the complexity of migrations in 5th-6th century Pannonia.

As the collapse of the Western Roman Empire accelerated during the 4th and 5th centuries, arriving "barbarian" groups began to establish new communities in the border provinces of the declining (and eventually former) empire. This was a time of significant cultural and political change throughout not only these border regions but Europe as a whole.1,2 To better understand post-Roman community formation in one of these key frontier zones after the collapse of the Hunnic movement, we generated new paleogenomic data for a set of 38 burials from a time series of three 5th century cemeteries3,4,5 at Lake Balaton, Hungary. We utilized a comprehensive sampling approach to characterize these cemeteries along with data from 38 additional burials from a previously published mid-6th century site6 and analyzed them alongside data from over 550 penecontemporaneous individuals.7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 The range of genetic diversity in all four of these local burial communities is extensive and wider ranging than penecontemporaneous Europeans sequenced to date. Despite many commonalities in burial customs and demography, we find that there were substantial differences in genetic ancestry between the sites. We detect evidence of northern European gene flow into the Lake Balaton region. Additionally, we observe a statistically significant association between dress artifacts and genetic ancestry among 5th century genetically female burials. Our analysis shows that the formation of early Medieval communities was a multifarious process even at a local level, consisting of genetically heterogeneous groups.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes identify nuanced dietary changes from the Bronze and Iron Ages on the Great Hungarian Plain.

The Great Hungarian Plain (GHP) served as a geographic funnel for population mobility throughout prehistory. Genomic and isotopic research demonstrates non-linear genetic turnover and technological shifts between the Copper and Iron Ages of the GHP, which influenced the dietary strategies of numerous cultures that intermixed and overlapped through time. Given the complexities of these prehistoric cultural and demographic processes, this study aims to identify and elucidate diachronic and culture-specific dietary signatures. We report on stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from 74 individuals from nineteen sites in the GHP dating to a ~ 3000-year time span between the Early Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The samples broadly indicate a terrestrial C3 diet with nuanced differences amongst populations and through time, suggesting exogenous influences that manifested in subsistence strategies. Slightly elevated δ15N values for Bronze Age samples imply higher reliance on protein than in the Iron Age. Interestingly, the Füzesabony have carbon values typical of C4 vegetation indicating millet consumption, or that of a grain with comparable δ13C ratios, which corroborates evidence from outside the GHP for its early cultivation during the Middle Bronze Age. Finally, our results also suggest locally diverse subsistence economies for GHP Scythians.

The genetic origin of Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians.

Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians were migration-period nomadic tribal confederations that arrived in three successive waves in the Carpathian Basin between the 5th and 9th centuries. Based on the historical data, each of these groups are thought to have arrived from Asia, although their exact origin and relation to other ancient and modern populations have been debated. Recently, hundreds of ancient genomes were analyzed from Central Asia, Mongolia, and China, from which we aimed to identify putative source populations for the above-mentioned groups. In this study, we have sequenced 9 Hun, 143 Avar, and 113 Hungarian conquest period samples and identified three core populations, representing immigrants from each period with no recent European ancestry. Our results reveal that this "immigrant core" of both Huns and Avars likely originated in present day Mongolia, and their origin can be traced back to Xiongnus (Asian Huns), as suggested by several historians. On the other hand, the "immigrant core" of the conquering Hungarians derived from an earlier admixture of Mansis, early Sarmatians, and descendants of late Xiongnus. We have also shown that a common "proto-Ugric" gene pool appeared in the Bronze Age from the admixture of Mezhovskaya and Nganasan people, supporting genetic and linguistic data. In addition, we detected shared Hun-related ancestry in numerous Avar and Hungarian conquest period genetic outliers, indicating a genetic link between these successive nomadic groups. Aside from the immigrant core groups, we identified that the majority of the individuals from each period were local residents harboring "native European" ancestry.

Maternal Lineages from 10-11th Century Commoner Cemeteries of the Carpathian Basin.

Nomadic groups of conquering Hungarians played a predominant role in Hungarian prehistory, but genetic data are available only from the immigrant elite strata. Most of the 10-11th century remains in the Carpathian Basin belong to common people, whose origin and relation to the immigrant elite have been widely debated. Mitogenome sequences were obtained from 202 individuals with next generation sequencing combined with hybridization capture. Median joining networks were used for phylogenetic analysis. The commoner population was compared to 87 ancient Eurasian populations with sequence-based (Fst) and haplogroup-based population genetic methods. The haplogroup composition of the commoner population markedly differs from that of the elite, and, in contrast to the elite, commoners cluster with European populations. Alongside this, detectable sub-haplogroup sharing indicates admixture between the elite and the commoners. The majority of the 10-11th century commoners most likely represent local populations of the Carpathian Basin, which admixed with the eastern immigrant groups (which included conquering Hungarians).

Hyperostosis frontalis interna in ancient populations from the Carpathian Basin - A possible relationship between lifestyle and risk of development.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) was examined in different periods of the Carpathian Basin from 4900 BCE to 17th century AD. The study seeks to evaluate temporal changes in HFI and the possible impact of lifestyle on it. MATERIALS: The studied material consisted of 4668 crania from Hungary and Serbia. METHODS: The crania were analyzed employing macroscopic and endoscopic examination. RESULTS: In historic periods, sex and age played a pivotal role in HFI development. Among predominantly pastoralist populations of the 5th-8th and 10th centuries, prevalence of HFI was considerably higher than in the medieval populations of the 9th-17th centuries. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to age and sex, other factors could be implicated in HFI development. The physiological effects of the pastoralist lifestyle and diet on insulin regulation could explain the increased risk of developing HFI in the 5th-8th and 10th-century populations. SIGNIFICANCE: The study provides the first comprehensive dataset of HFI from different archaeological periods from the Carpathian Basin. It has implications for lifestyle and risk of HFI development in past populations. LIMITATIONS: The archaeological periods are not equally represented. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: In order to better understand the etiology of HFI, lifestyle factors can be used to elucidate the risk of developing HFI in ancient populations.

Rare Case of an Ancient Craniofacial Osteosarcoma with Probable Surgical Intervention.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor both today and in antiquity. Nevertheless, it is a comparatively rare tumor. This paper describes a case of a highly aggressive craniofacial lesion from the 11th-12th centuries AD, most likely representing osteosarcoma. During the paleopathological study, macroscopic, endoscopic, radiological, scanning-electron and light microscopic investigations were performed. The skull of the approximately 40-50 year-old female revealed several pathological findings. The most impressive macroscopic feature was an extensively spiculated periosteal reaction ("sunburst" pattern) in combination with a massive bone destruction most likely derived from a highly aggressive tumor originating in the ethmoidal area of the medial wall of the orbit. The central parts of the lesion showed excessive new and most probably neoplastic bone formation indicating an underlying high-grade osteosarcoma. The light microscopic examination revealed three different levels of bony structures representing different qualities of bone tissues. Besides the mass lesion, signs of a healed multiple incomplete trephination of the left parietal bone was observed. This case represents a unique example in which the concomitance of a tumor and an incomplete trephination could be observed from the skeletal remains of an ancient individual. The case opens new considerations as to whether surgical interventions, such as incomplete trephination, might have been used already in the Middle Ages as a therapeutic approach.

A minimally-invasive method for sampling human petrous bones from the cranial base for ancient DNA analysis.

Ancient DNA (aDNA) research involves invasive and destructive sampling procedures that are often incompatible with anthropological, anatomical, and bioarcheological analyses requiring intact skeletal remains. The osseous labyrinth inside the petrous bone has been shown to yield higher amounts of endogenous DNA than any other skeletal element; however, accessing this labyrinth in cases of a complete or reconstructed skull involves causing major structural damage to the cranial vault or base. Here, we describe a novel cranial base drilling method (CBDM) for accessing the osseous labyrinth from the cranial base that prevents damaging the surrounding cranial features, making it highly complementary to morphological analyses. We assessed this method by comparing the aDNA results from one petrous bone processed using our novel method to its pair, which was processed using established protocols for sampling disarticulated petrous bones. We show a decrease in endogenous DNA and molecular copy numbers when the drilling method is used; however, we also show that this method produces more endogenous DNA and higher copy numbers than any postcranial bone. Our results demonstrate that this minimally-invasive method reduces the loss of genetic data associated with the use of other skeletal elements and enables the combined craniometric and genetic study of individuals with archeological, cultural, and evolutionary value.

Gendered Differences in Accidental Trauma to Upper and Lower Limb Bones at Aquincum, Roman Hungary.

It was hypothesized that men and women living in the border provinces of the Roman Empire may have encountered different risks associated with their different occupations and activities. Limb bone trauma data were used to assess sex-based differences in physical hazards and evidence for fracture healing and treatment. Two hundred and ten skeletons were examined from a late 1st to early 4th century AD cemetery at Aquincum (Budapest, Hungary). Upper and lower limb bone fracture types, frequencies, distributions, and associated complications were recorded, and gendered patterns in injury risks were explored. Of the 23 fractures identified, both sexes had injuries indicative of falls; males exhibited the only injuries suggestive of higher-energy and more direct forces. Most fractures were well-healed with few complications. The extremity trauma at Aquincum suggests that people buried here experienced less hazardous physical activities than at other Roman provincial sites. The patterns of trauma indicate the occurrence of "traditional" gender roles, whereby male civilians participated in more physically dangerous activities than females. Additionally, treatment may have been equally accessible to men and women, but certain fracture types proved more challenging to reduce using the techniques available.

A case of spinal tuberculosis from the middle ages in Transylvania (Romania).

STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the paleopathology presented in the skeleton of a 45- to 50-year-old man indicative of tuberculous spondylitis and to confirm by the detection of ancient DNA. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease prevalent in both present and ancient human populations. The disease is primarily located within the lungs; although characteristic bone lesions can lead to a clear diagnosis, skeletal TB occurs in only 5% to 6% of TB infections, even in historical cases. In addition, the visual appearance of human skeletal remains may be influenced by the environmental conditions at the burial site. However, it is important to recognize ancient skeletal TB because it can provide important data on the history of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and give a unique opportunity for physicians to observe the natural outcome of the infection of the preantibiotic era. METHODS: Paleopathological analysis was carried out using careful visual observation supported by ancient DNA analysis. Approximately 60 mg of bone powder from rib fragments was examined and DNA from the M. tuberculosis complex was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting specific genetic loci of the IS6110 and IS1081 regions. RESULTS: The skeleton is part of a human osteoarchaeological collection (n = 274) from the 12th- to 13th-century Transylvanian archaeological site of Peteni, in modern-day Romania. The individual, a 45- to 50-year-old man, showed gross pathology typical of tuberculous spondylitis. The paleopathological diagnosis was supported by analysis for M. tuberculosis complex ancient DNA. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates that TB was present in Transylvania (Romania) during the 12th and 13th centuries and adds to the growing body of knowledge on the history of this disease.