Tautalus
Regular Member
- Messages
- 580
- Reaction score
- 1,482
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- Ethnic group
- Portuguese
- Y-DNA haplogroup
- I2-M223 / I-FTB15368
- mtDNA haplogroup
- H6a1b2y
This paper examines the genetic connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire by analyzing genomic data from 370 individuals across different periods and regions. The findings indicate that the Huns, who appeared in Europe in the 4th century, might have genetic ties to the Xiongnu Empire, which dissolved around 300 years before. Despite high genetic diversity among Hun-period burials in the Carpathian Basin, there is evidence of a mixed origin of steppe conquerors. Some European Huns descended from Xiongnu-period elites, suggesting trans-Eurasian genetic connections. The research provides new insights into the origins and diversity of the Hun-period population, showing long-shared genomic tracts connecting individuals from the highest Xiongnu-period elites to those in the Carpathian Basin. The study highlights the mixed ancestry of the incoming steppe conquerors and the persistence of some Hunnic cultural elements in the region. These findings allow us to better understand the genetic and cultural links between the European Huns and their ancestors in the Eurasian steppes.
Abstract
The Huns appeared in Europe in the 370s, establishing an Empire that reshaped West Eurasian history. Yet until today their origins remain a matter of extensive debate. Traditional theories link them to the Xiongnu, the founders of the first nomadic empire of the Mongolian steppe. The Xiongnu empire dissolved, however, ~300 y before the Huns appeared in Europe, and there is little archaeological and historical evidence of Huns in the steppe during this time gap. Furthermore, despite the rich 5th to 6th centuries current era (CE) archaeological record of the Carpathian Basin, the cultural elements of connections with the steppe are limited to few findings and even fewer solitary eastern-type burials. In this study, we coanalyze archaeological evidence with 35 newly sequenced and published genomic data for a total of 370 individuals—from 5th to 6th century CE contexts in the Carpathian Basin including 10 Hun-period eastern-type burials, 2nd to 5th century sites across Central Asia and 2nd c. before current era (BCE) to 1st c. CE Xiongnu period sites across the Mongolian steppe. We find no evidence for the presence of a large eastern/steppe descent community among the Hun and post-Hun-period Carpathian Basin population. We also observe a high genetic diversity among the eastern-type burials that recapitulates the variability observed across the Eurasian Steppe. This suggests a mixed origin of the incoming steppe conquerors. Nevertheless, long-shared genomic tracts provide compelling evidence of genetic lineages directly connecting some individuals of the highest Xiongnu-period elite with 5th to 6th century CE Carpathian Basin individuals, showing that some European Huns descended from them.
Ancient genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire
PCA and Best qpAdm models (P-value > 0.01) of the Carpathian Basin individuals from the 10 Hun period eastern-type-burials (Top) and from the Hun or Gepid period (5th to 6th c. CE) context presenting East Eurasian/Steppe admixture signals.
Haplogroups of the 35 newly sequenced individuals.
Ancient genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire
PCA and Best qpAdm models (P-value > 0.01) of the Carpathian Basin individuals from the 10 Hun period eastern-type-burials (Top) and from the Hun or Gepid period (5th to 6th c. CE) context presenting East Eurasian/Steppe admixture signals.
Haplogroups of the 35 newly sequenced individuals.
| Genetic_ID | Group | sex | yhap | mtHap |
| BRE024 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | M | R1a1a(R-M512) | U5a1d2b |
| BRE026 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | M | R1(R-M306,R-M173) | F1b1b |
| BRE018 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | M | Q1a2a(Q-L475,Q-L53) | C4a1a+195 |
| BRE020 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | M | Q1a1b1a(Q-L715,Q-L713) | B4b1a3a |
| BRE031_ss | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | M | O1b1a1a1b(O-F3092,O-M1283) | C4a1a3 |
| BRE021 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | F | A8a | |
| BRE017 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | F | C4a1a4 | |
| BRE022 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | F | D4j+(16286) | |
| BRE019 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | F | H7b | |
| BRE025 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | F | H7b | |
| BRE023 | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | F | U1a1a1 | |
| BRE030_ss | Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P 2nd-5th c. CE | F | U5a1d2b | |
| HDB001.A0101.ssMod | Hun P eastern-type-burials 5th c. CE | M | R1a1a1b2a(R-Z94) | U4b1a4 |
| NEP2 | Hun P eastern-type-burials 5th c. CE | M | G2a1a1a2(G-FGC1159,G-FGC1160) | U5a1d1 |
| NEP1 | Hun P eastern-type-burials 5th c. CE | M | E1b1b1a1b1(E-CTS1773,E-L618) | H |
| PTL013.A0101.ssMod | Hun P eastern-type-burials 5th c. CE | F | C4a1 | |
| TGH028.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | M | R1b1(R-M415,R-P25_1) | H6a1a |
| TGB023.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | M | R1a1a1b2a(R-Z94) | U5a2b1c |
| TGH010.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | M | R1(R-M306,R-M173) | D4o1 |
| TGH012.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | M | N1c1a1(N-L708) | T1a1 |
| TGH058.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | C4a2c1 | |
| PTL004.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | H1a | |
| TGB005.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | H1c | |
| PTL002.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | H26 | |
| PTL003.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | H26 | |
| TGH019.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | H80 | |
| TGH068.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | J1c5a | |
| TGH016.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | U3b | |
| TGH015.A0101.ssMod | Hun/Gepid P 5th - 6th c. CE | F | U5a2b1c | |
| TGB013.A0101.ssMod | lateSarmatian_Hun_P 4th-5th c. CE | M | R1a(R-L62,R-M420) | H3p |
| HNF075.A0101.ssMod | lateSarmatian_Hun_P 4th-5th c. CE | M | Q1a1b1(Q-L712) | J1 |
| HNF054.A0101.ssMod | lateSarmatian_Hun_P 4th-5th c. CE | M | I2a2a1a2a1a1(I-Z2054) | U4 |
| HNF016.A0101.ssMod | lateSarmatian_Hun_P 4th-5th c. CE | M | I2a2a1a2a(I-L1229) | U5a2b |
| HNF019.A0101.ssMod | lateSarmatian_Hun_P 4th-5th c. CE | M | D1b2a(D-CTS6287,D-CTS220) | H4a1a4b |
| HNF052.A0101.ssMod | lateSarmatian_Hun_P 4th-5th c. CE | F | U4b |
