O’Sullivan et al 2018 Alemmani paper. Possible Romans?

[Lauχum]

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/9/eaao1262

"From historical and archeological records, it is posited that the European medieval household was a combination of close relatives and recruits. However, this kinship structure has not yet been directly tested at a genomic level on medieval burials. The early 7th century CE burial at Niederstotzingen, discovered in 1962, is the most complete and richest example of Alemannic funerary practice in Germany. Excavations found 13 individuals who were buried with an array of inscribed bridle gear, jewelry, armor, and swords. These artifacts support the view that the individuals had contact with France, northern Italy, and Byzantium. This study analyzed genome-wide sequences recovered from the remains, in tandem with analysis of the archeological context, to reconstruct kinship and the extent of outside contact. Eleven individuals had sufficient DNA preservation to genetically sex them as male and identify nine unique mitochondrial haplotypes and two distinct Y chromosome lineages. Genome-wide analyses were performed on eight individuals to estimate genetic affiliation to modern west Eurasians and genetic kinship at the burial. Five individuals were direct relatives. Three other individuals were not detectably related; two of these showed genomic affinity to southern Europeans. The genetic makeup of the individuals shares no observable pattern with their orientation in the burial or the cultural association of their grave goods, with the five related individuals buried with grave goods associated with three diverse cultural origins. These findings support the idea that not only were kinship and fellowship held in equal regard: Diverse cultural appropriation was practiced among closely related individuals as well."

PCA from the study:


YDNA and mtDNA calls:


So it seems we now have 2 individuals plotting with Tuscans (the most east shifted "North Italian" cluster on the PCA) and Mainland Greeks (Greeks), one with R1b-M269, the generic steppe lineage and one with G2a-M406, which is very interesting as it does appear to be quite common in Italy:
https://www.yfull.com/tree/G-M406/
https://www.familytreedna.com/groups...out/background

What are your thoughts on this paper? I think its very likely we have two Roman settlers from Central Italy! Exciting stuff!

[JQP4545]

Are these samples on GEDMatch yet?

[Token]

Even more impressing is Germanic speakers from Southern Germany clustering with Norwegians. We talk a lot about Northern European impact on Southern Europe, but maybe we are underestimating the Roman impact on Central Europe.

[Lauχum]

Even more impressing is Germanic speakers from Southern Germany clustering with Norwegians. We talk a lot about Northern European impact on Southern Europe, but maybe we are underestimating the Roman impact on Central Europe.

Another way to explain it would be that the Pre-Roman Celtic people in Southern Germany were more French-like. One of the two Hallstatt samples (DA111) from the Czech republic plots that way.



But yeah I also believe there is some Roman or Paleo-Balkan ancestry in South Germans/Austrians. You can see they shift slightly towards SE Euros on PCA's.

[Ajeje Brazorf]

Maybe Grave 3C was north Italian, who knows?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/70oeughoux...Grave3cK15.png

[Token]

I wonder where a Cisalpine Gaul would plot on a modern PCA. Would they differ much from modern natives from the area? How much of a impact did Romans had on Northern Italy? If i remember correctly, samples with local strontium signatures from Collegno were rather 'southern', and no one called them Romans. Apparently, genetic enthusiasts have a idealized image of how Romans should have looked like (in genetic terms).