EAA2021: Abstract
Abstract is part of session #412:
Title & Content
Title:
Ancient DNA analysis of Early Medieval Alan populations of the North
Caucasus
Caucasus
Content:
The earliest existing written evidence about Alans – people of Ponto-Caspian steppes and Caucasus region of I-XIII century AD – is found in the works of Chinese authors who mention the politonym "Yancai" in the "Records of the Grand Historian" and in the "History of the Former Han", and of European antique authors in the middle of the 1st century AD.
Genetic data of the early Middle Ages Alans and their affinities to the Scythian-Sarmatian tribes, traditionally considered as their ancestors, as well as to the modern population of Europe and the Caucasus have not yet studied thoroughly, the whole genome data exists for only 6 individuals [1].
In this study we have analyzed ancient DNA of 70 individuals from 12 burial complexes belonging to the Alan culture from the III-XIII century AD, from the territory of the North Caucasus (Russian Federation). DNA was extracted from the archaeological material (teeth, temporal bone) of 70 individuals. We produced low-coverage Illumina whole-genome shotgun sequencing data for 63 individuals and will analyze these in a context of ancient and modern genetic variation of the region. The coverage of the genomes was 0.0004-0.3X (median coverage 0.045X and content of endogenous DNA 21,45%). The preliminary analysis allows us to assume close contacts of the Alans with the populations of the North Caucasus. The Y-chromosomal palette of Alans consisting of 5 different haplogroups (R, Q, J, G, I) started to be similar to that of present day autochthonous North Caucasus populations only in the later phase of Alan culture.
This study is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (grant № FZWU-2020-0027), the Russian Foundation of Basic Researches (№ 19-04-01195 and №20-29-01018) and by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund (№ 2014-2020.4.01.16-0125)
Genetic data of the early Middle Ages Alans and their affinities to the Scythian-Sarmatian tribes, traditionally considered as their ancestors, as well as to the modern population of Europe and the Caucasus have not yet studied thoroughly, the whole genome data exists for only 6 individuals [1].
In this study we have analyzed ancient DNA of 70 individuals from 12 burial complexes belonging to the Alan culture from the III-XIII century AD, from the territory of the North Caucasus (Russian Federation). DNA was extracted from the archaeological material (teeth, temporal bone) of 70 individuals. We produced low-coverage Illumina whole-genome shotgun sequencing data for 63 individuals and will analyze these in a context of ancient and modern genetic variation of the region. The coverage of the genomes was 0.0004-0.3X (median coverage 0.045X and content of endogenous DNA 21,45%). The preliminary analysis allows us to assume close contacts of the Alans with the populations of the North Caucasus. The Y-chromosomal palette of Alans consisting of 5 different haplogroups (R, Q, J, G, I) started to be similar to that of present day autochthonous North Caucasus populations only in the later phase of Alan culture.
This study is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (grant № FZWU-2020-0027), the Russian Foundation of Basic Researches (№ 19-04-01195 and №20-29-01018) and by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund (№ 2014-2020.4.01.16-0125)
Keywords:
Ancient DNA, Alans, Haplogroups, Caucasus, Middle Ages
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authors
Main authors:
Murat Dzhaubermezov1,2
Co-author:
Liliia Gabidullina2
Natalia Ekomasova1,2
Elza Khusnutdinova1,2
Biyaslan Atabiev3
Ongar Chagarov4
Akhmat Aybazov5
Mait Metspalu6
Richard Villems6
Kristiina Tambets6
Natalia Ekomasova1,2
Elza Khusnutdinova1,2
Biyaslan Atabiev3
Ongar Chagarov4
Akhmat Aybazov5
Mait Metspalu6
Richard Villems6
Kristiina Tambets6
Affiliations:
1 Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics - Subdivision of the Ufa Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ufa, 450054, Russia
2 Department of Genetics and Fundamental Medicine, Bashkir State University, Ufa, 450076, Russia
3 Ltd. Institute for Caucasus Archaeology, Ul. Katkhanova 30, 361401, Nalchik, Republic Kabardino-Balkaria, Russian Federation
4 Junior research associate of the Laboratory of Contextual Antropology at the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences
5 Director of the Archaeological Museum of the Umar Aliev Karachay-Cherkess State University
6 Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia
2 Department of Genetics and Fundamental Medicine, Bashkir State University, Ufa, 450076, Russia
3 Ltd. Institute for Caucasus Archaeology, Ul. Katkhanova 30, 361401, Nalchik, Republic Kabardino-Balkaria, Russian Federation
4 Junior research associate of the Laboratory of Contextual Antropology at the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences
5 Director of the Archaeological Museum of the Umar Aliev Karachay-Cherkess State University
6 Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia