Alexandra Anders

Genome flux and stasis in a five millennium transect of European prehistory

The Great Hungarian Plain was a crossroads of cultural transformations that have shaped European prehistory. Here we analyse a 5,000-year transect of human genomes, sampled from petrous bones giving consistently excellent endogenous DNA yields, from 13 Hungarian Neolithic, Copper, Bronze and Iron Age burials including two to high (~22 × ) and seven to ~1 × coverage, to investigate the impact of these on Europe’s genetic landscape. These data suggest genomic shifts with the advent of the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, with interleaved periods of genome stability. The earliest Neolithic context genome shows a European hunter-gatherer genetic signature and a restricted ancestral population size, suggesting direct contact between cultures after the arrival of the first farmers into Europe. The latest, Iron Age, sample reveals an eastern genomic influence concordant with introduced Steppe burial rites. We observe transition towards lighter pigmentation and surprisingly, no Neolithic presence of lactase persistence.

Optimal Ancient DNA Yields from the Inner Ear Part of the Human Petrous Bone

The invention and development of next or second generation sequencing methods has resulted in a dramatic transformation of ancient DNA research and allowed shotgun sequencing of entire genomes from fossil specimens. However, although there are exceptions, most fossil specimens contain only low (~ 1% or less) percentages of endogenous DNA. The only skeletal element for which a systematically higher endogenous DNA content compared to other skeletal elements has been shown is the petrous part of the temporal bone. In this study we investigate whether (a) different parts of the petrous bone of archaeological human specimens give different percentages of endogenous DNA yields, (b) there are significant differences in average DNA read lengths, damage patterns and total DNA concentration, and (c) it is possible to obtain endogenous ancient DNA from petrous bones from hot environments. We carried out intra-petrous comparisons for ten petrous bones from specimens from Holocene archaeological contexts across Eurasia dated between 10,000-1,800 calibrated years before present (cal. BP). We obtained shotgun DNA sequences from three distinct areas within the petrous: a spongy part of trabecular bone (part A), the dense part of cortical bone encircling the osseous inner ear, or otic capsule (part B), and the dense part within the otic capsule (part C). Our results confirm that dense bone parts of the petrous bone can provide high endogenous aDNA yields and indicate that endogenous DNA fractions for part C can exceed those obtained for part B by up to 65-fold and those from part A by up to 177-fold, while total endogenous DNA concentrations are up to 126-fold and 109-fold higher for these comparisons. Our results also show that while endogenous yields from part C were lower than 1% for samples from hot (both arid and humid) parts, the DNA damage patterns indicate that at least some of the reads originate from ancient DNA molecules, potentially enabling ancient DNA analyses of samples from hot regions that are otherwise not amenable to ancient DNA analyses.

Parallel palaeogenomic transects reveal complex genetic history of early European farmers

Ancient DNA studies have established that Neolithic European populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Here we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe using a high-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA dataset with a total of 180 samples, of which 130 are newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods of Hungary (6000–2900 bc, n = 100), Germany (5500–3000 bc, n = 42) and Spain (5500–2200 bc, n = 38). We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways in which gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modelling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.

Parallel ancient genomic transects reveal complex population history of early European farmers

Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genomewide ancient DNA data set assembled to date—a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000–2900 BCE, n = 98), Germany (5500–3000 BCE, n = 42), and Spain (5500–2200 BCE, n = 37)—we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways that gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modeling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.

Archaeological register of tell settlements in Hungary@@@Magyarországi tell-települések régészeti katasztere

This paper presents the results of a research project, which was launched in 1999 by the Institute of Archaeological Sciences of the ELTE. Our main goal was to create a register of Hungarian tell settlements. First we collected all available information on tell settlements from the archaeological literature and various museum archives. Following this preliminary data filtering, fifty of the initial 161 Neolithic sites and 116 of the 224 Bronze Age sites were classified as genuine tells or tell-like settlements. After that we determined the accurate location and co-ordinates of the sites using aerial photography called for the construction of a GIS database. The destruction (by erosion, by flood, etc.) of the tell settlements can be monitored virtually from one day to the other. In addition to a precise site condition assessment, the project yielded fresh information about settlement layouts, such as the presence of enclosures. At some sites, aerial photography was followed by a magnetometer survey. | A Karpat-medence őskori kepet tobb mint masfel evezreden at a tobbretegű telepulesi halmok, azaz a tellek hataroztak meg. Előszor a keső neolitikumban, Kr. e. 5100/5000-tol 4500/4400-ig a Tisza–Herpaly–Csőszhalom kulturak idejen, majd mintegy ketezer evvel kesőbb, a korai es a kozepső bronzkor időszakaban, Kr. e. 2500–1500 kozott a nagyrevi, hatvani, ottomanyi es perjamosi kulturak koraban. Ez a deli eredetű telepulesi forma ket izben is itt erte el elterjedesi teruletenek eszaki hatarat: a neolitikumban az alfoldi folyovidekeken, a Tisza, Koros, Berettyo es Maros menten talalhatok a tellek, mig a bronzkorban mar a Duna kozepső szakaszanak partjat is benepesitik (1. kep). A magyarorszagi tellek – kulonosen a bronzkoriak – kutatasanak tortenete szinte egyidős a magyar ősregeszetevel; a XIX. szazad első evei ota ismertek leleteik. Első bemutatasukra 1876-ban, a Budapesten megrendezett VIII. Nemzetkozi Ősregeszeti es Antropologiai Kongresszuson kerult sor: a resztvevők ellatogattak a toszeg-laposhalmi tellhez, ahol bemutato asatason vehettek reszt. Az 1876-os konferenciat kovetően a ket kulonboző korszak azonos telepulestipusanak kutatasaban az 1980-as es 1990-es evek elejen megrendezett nemzetkozi kiallitasok es a hozzajuk kapcsolodo katalogusok (The Late Neolithic of the Tisza region; Bronzezeit in Ungarn. Forschungen in Tell-Siedlungen an Donau und Theis) hoztak dontő valtozast. Mindezen kutatastorteneti előzmenyek ellenere megsem allt rendelkezesre olyan munka, amely a magyarorszagi tellek akarcsak reszleges, katalogusszerű kozleset tartalmazta volna, jollehet a telleket a Magyarorszagon hatalyos oroksegvedelmi es termeszetvedelmi torvenyek kiemelten vedendő teruletkent hatarozzak meg. Kutatasi programunk ennek a hianynak a megszuntetese erdekeben indult 1999-ben, az ELTE BTK Regeszettudomanyi Intezetenek kezdemenyezesere. Celunk a magyarorszagi tellek lehető legteljesebb adatbazisanak letrehozasa volt. A kataszter felepitesenek első lepesekent a szakirodalombol es a muzeumi adattarakbol felgyűjtottuk a tellekre vonatkozo – akar csak csekely forrasertekkel is biro – osszes adatot. El kellett dontenunk, hogy mit tekintunk tellnek. A tell meghatarozasunk szerint legalabb ket retegsorral rendelkezik, amelyek vastagsaga valodi tell eseteben 2,5–4 m (a bronzkori telleknel alacsonyabb ertekek is előfordulnak), mig a tellszerűeknel 1–2,5 m. Az adatfelvetel űrlapok segitsegevel tortent, előre egyeztetett szempontok alapjan. Az adatgyűjtes ezen első szakasza utan kiertekeltuk eredmenyeinket. Mar ekkor kiderult, hogy egy adott lelőhely sokszor tevesen szerepel tellkent, vagy egy adott tell tobb neven is ismert. E szűres utan az eredeti 161 neolit lelőhely kozul otvenről bizonyosodott be, hogy tell vagy tellszerű, mig a 224 bronzkori lelőhely kozul 116-rol tudtuk ugyanezt igazolni. Vilagosan kirajzolodott az ujkőkori telepulesi struktura haromszintű szerveződese: makroregionalis szinten a Tisza–Herpaly–Csőszhalom kulturak elterjedesi teruletenek eszaki reszen csak egyretegű telepek fordulnak elő (kiveve Polgar-Csőszhalom telljet), mig delen telleket es egyretegű telepeket egyarant ismerunk. Mikroregionalis szinten a Del-Alfoldon figyelhető meg az a jelenseg, hogy egy-egy kozponti szerepű, nagyobb tellt kisebb, horizontalis telepek sora vesz korul. Vegul egy adott lelőhely szintjen a tell es a horizontalis telepulesresz egyuttesen alkotja a lelőhelyet, a ket strukturat gyakran arok is elkuloniti egymastol. A bronzkori ottomanyi es hatvani kulturak eseteben hasonlo harmas telepulesi szerkezet figyelhető meg. Mindegyik kultura eseteben talaltunk adatot foldvar vagy nyilt, egyretegű telep megletere is. Ezek aranya a tellekhez kepest valtozo; a vatyai kulturaban peldaul magasnak tűnik, a nagyrevi es hatvani kulturakban viszont rendkivul alacsonynak. Helyszini szemlere a magas koltsegek es a tellek nagy szama miatt sajnos nem kerulhetett sor, ezert allapotuk felmeresere a ferde tengelyű legi fenykepezes modszeret valasztottuk. Ehhez a munkahoz szukseg volt terinformatikai azonositasukra is. Mostanaig osszesen otven tell folott sikerult repulest vegeznunk. Pusztulasuk szinte naprol-napra nyomon kovethető. Ebben talan a legnagyobb szerepet az egyre intenzivebb mezőgazdasagi termeles okozta erozio jatssza (pl. Tape-Lebő: 2. kep, Maklar-Baglyas: 3. kep). Hasonlo karokat okozhat az arvizek partrombolo hatasa es az ezzel kapcsolatos arvizi vedekező munkalatok. Toszeg-Laposhalom eseteben a 2001-es nagy tiszai arviz idejen peldaul gatat epitettek a halom testebe, a falut megvedendő (4. kep). Korabban ugyanez tortent Bekes-Povad neolit telljevel is: itt a Koros-gatba epitettek bele a halmot. Az sem ritka, hogy a telleken falvak telepulnek meg, vagy kulonboző letesitmenyeket epitenek rajtuk – Szegvar-Tűzkovesen peldaul silo epult (5. kep). Az allapotfelmeresen tul munkanknak tudomanyos jelentősege is van. Neolit es bronzkori tellek eseteben egyarant sikerult igazolni a korabban csak nehany lelőhelynel ismert korarkos strukturakat – peldaul Berettyoszentmarton-Korhany, Polgar-Csőszhalom (6. kep), Jaszdozsa-Kapolnahalom (7. kep), Esztar-Fenyvespart es Turkeve-Terehalom eseteben. Erdekes osszefuggesre vilagitott ra az Alfold eszaki peremvideken talalhato bronzkori foldvarak parhuzamosan folyo vizsgalata. Ezek egy reszenel (pl. Emőd-Nagyhalom) a legi fenykepezesek alapjan a foldsanc lete nem igazolhato, viszont impozans korarkuk reven a tellek koze is besorolhatok. Hasonlo megfigyelest tettunk a korabban foldvarkent meghatarozott Boconad eseteben (8. kep), amely valojaban szeles arokkal vagy arkokkal ovezett bronzkori tell. A tellek egy resze ugyanakkor foldvarnak is tekinthető (Berettyoujfalu-Herpaly-Foldvar), vagyis a ket telepulesi tipus az Alfoldon es a csatlakozo teruleteken nem valaszthato el egymastol. Nehany tell eseteben a legi felvetelezesek kiegeszultek magnetometeres felmeresekkel – peldaul Polgar-Csőszhalom, Berettyoujfalu-Herpaly (9. kep) es legujabban Polgar-Bosnyakdomb lelőhelyeken. Az eddig elvegzett munka csak egy hosszu ut első nehany lepesekent ertekelhető. Minden esetben szukseg lenne helyszini szemlere, retegtisztazo furasokra. Bar illuzorikus lenne minden tellen asatast tervezni (a bronzkoriak kozul 98 helyszinen kerult sor kisebb-nagyobb feltarasra), nehany kulonosen indokolt esetben megis szukseges lesz azt elvegezni. Remeljuk, hogy meg a tellek vegleges eltűnese előtt be tudjuk fejezni munkankat.

Correction to ‘The evolution of dual meat and milk cattle husbandry in Linearbandkeramik societies’

Proc. R. Soc. B 284 , 20170905 (Published Online 2 August 2017) ([doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.0905][1]) An error … [1]: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0905

Polgár-Bosnyákdomb, a Late Neolithic tell-like settlement on Polgár Island (NE Hungary). Preliminary results of the investigations

In this study, we summarise the preliminary results of thirty years of investigations at the Polgar-Bosnyakdomb site. The significance of the site located on the one-time bank of the Tisza River is that it lies no more than 5 km away from the well-known Polgar-Csőszhalom settlement complex. One of our goals was to investigate the relation between the settlements in the Polgar Island micro-region and to identify the similarities and differences between them. It is quite obvious that with its estimated 70 hectares large extent, Polgar-Csőszhalom was a dominant settlement complex in this landscape during the earlier fifth millennium, while the Bosnyakdomb settlement, represented an entirely different scale with its 8 hectares and had a different role during this period. The AMS dates provide convincing evidence that the two settlements had been occupied simultaneously during one period of their lives. Despite their spatial proximity and chronological contemporaneity, the two settlements had a differing structural layout. Although both had a prominent stratified settlement mound that was separated from the single-layer settlement part by a ditch, the system of the ditches, their structure and, presumably, their social use differed substantially. This would suggest that each community constructed its settlement and architectural structures according to different spatial rules in the different locations of Polgar Island. Despite the spatial differences, we could identify traces of similar community events on the settlement mounds at Bosnyakdomb and Csőszhalom such as the recurring practice of house burning. Despite the smaller excavated areas, we identified wholly different mortuary practices at Bosnyakdomb, diverging fundamentally from the funerary rites practiced at Csőszhalom. The bones of the deceased were secondarily deposited into the ditch of the central mound. The various cultural features discussed in the above indicate that the community responses of the groups settling and living in the Polgar area during the Late Neolithic to the environmental challenges of the land around them were embodied by a set of distinctive cultural behaviours. Nevertheless, certain elements in the colourful diversity of material features and their different levels outline the structure of a micro-regional network with Csőszhalom in its centre in the Upper Tisza region.