Ancient genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14210%2F25%3A00140856" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14210/25:00140856 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2418485122" target="_blank" >https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2418485122</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2418485122" target="_blank" >10.1073/pnas.2418485122</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Ancient genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire
Original language description
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, similar to 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 individindividuals, showing that some European Huns descended from them.
Czech name
—
Czech description
—
Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
—
OECD FORD branch
60102 - Archaeology
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/EH22_008%2F0004593" target="_blank" >EH22_008/0004593: Ready for the future: understanding long-term resilience of the human culture (RES-HUM)</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
ISSN
0027-8424
e-ISSN
1091-6490
Volume of the periodical
122
Issue of the periodical within the volume
9
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
12
Pages from-to
1-12
UT code for WoS article
001439809600002
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85219612737