Early contact between late farming and pastoralist societies in southeastern Europe

Sandra Penske (), Adam B. Rohrlach, Ainash Childebayeva, Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone, Clemens Schmid, Maria A. Spyrou, Gunnar U. Neumann, Nadezhda Atanassova, Katrin Beutler, Kamen Boyadzhiev, Yavor Boyadzhiev, Igor Bruyako, Alexander Chohadzhiev, Blagoje Govedarica, Mehmet Karaucak, Raiko Krauss, Maleen Leppek, Igor Manzura, Karen Privat, Shawn Ross, Vladimir Slavchev, Adéla Sobotkova, Meda Toderaş, Todor Valchev, Harald Ringbauer, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Svend Hansen, Johannes Krause and Wolfgang Haak ()
Additional contact information
Sandra Penske: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Adam B. Rohrlach: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Ainash Childebayeva: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Clemens Schmid: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Maria A. Spyrou: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Gunnar U. Neumann: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Nadezhda Atanassova: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Katrin Beutler: German Archaeological Institute
Kamen Boyadzhiev: National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Yavor Boyadzhiev: National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Igor Bruyako: Odesa Archaeological Museum
Alexander Chohadzhiev: Regional History Museum
Blagoje Govedarica: Regional History Museum
Mehmet Karaucak: German Archaeological Institute
Raiko Krauss: Early History and Medieval Archaeology
Maleen Leppek: Ludwig Maximilian University Munich
Igor Manzura: National Museum of History of Moldova
Karen Privat: University of New South Wales
Shawn Ross: Macquarie University
Vladimir Slavchev: Varna Regional Historical Museum
Adéla Sobotkova: Aarhus University
Meda Toderaş: Institutul de Arheologie “Vasile Pârvan” Academia Română
Todor Valchev: Yambol Regional Historical Museum
Harald Ringbauer: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Philipp W. Stockhammer: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Svend Hansen: German Archaeological Institute
Johannes Krause: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Wolfgang Haak: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Nature, 2023, vol. 620, issue 7973, 358-365

Abstract: Abstract Archaeogenetic studies have described two main genetic turnover events in prehistoric western Eurasia: one associated with the spread of farming and a sedentary lifestyle starting around 7000–6000 bc (refs. 1–3) and a second with the expansion of pastoralist groups from the Eurasian steppes starting around 3300 bc (refs. 4,5). The period between these events saw new economies emerging on the basis of key innovations, including metallurgy, wheel and wagon and horse domestication6–9. However, what happened between the demise of the Copper Age settlements around 4250 bc and the expansion of pastoralists remains poorly understood. To address this question, we analysed genome-wide data from 135 ancient individuals from the contact zone between southeastern Europe and the northwestern Black Sea region spanning this critical time period. While we observe genetic continuity between Neolithic and Copper Age groups from major sites in the same region, from around 4500 bc on, groups from the northwestern Black Sea region carried varying amounts of mixed ancestries derived from Copper Age groups and those from the forest/steppe zones, indicating genetic and cultural contact over a period of around 1,000 years earlier than anticipated. We propose that the transfer of critical innovations between farmers and transitional foragers/herders from different ecogeographic zones during this early contact was integral to the formation, rise and expansion of pastoralist groups around 3300 bc.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06334-8

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