Ancient DNA connects large-scale migration with the spread of Slavs

Joscha Gretzinger (), Felix Biermann, Hellen Mager, Benedict King, Denisa Zlámalová, Luca Traverso, Guido A. Gnecchi Ruscone, Sanni Peltola, Elina Salmela, Gunnar U. Neumann, Rita Radzeviciute, Pavlína Ingrová, Radosław Liwoch, Iwona Wronka, Radomir Jurić, Anna Hyrchała, Barbara Niezabitowska-Wiśniewska, Bartłomiej Bartecki, Beata Borowska, Tomasz Dzieńkowski, Marcin Wołoszyn, Michał Wojenka, Jarosław Wilczyński, Małgorzata Kot, Eric Müller, Jörg Orschiedt, Gunita Zariņa, Päivi Onkamo, Falko Daim, Arnold Muhl, Ralf Schwarz, Marek Majer, Michael McCormick, Jan Květina, Tivadar Vida, Patrick J. Geary, Jiří Macháček, Mario Šlaus, Harald Meller, Walter Pohl (), Zuzana Hofmanová () and Johannes Krause ()
Additional contact information
Joscha Gretzinger: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Felix Biermann: University of Szczecin
Hellen Mager: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Benedict King: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Denisa Zlámalová: Masaryk University
Luca Traverso: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Guido A. Gnecchi Ruscone: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Sanni Peltola: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Elina Salmela: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Gunnar U. Neumann: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Rita Radzeviciute: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Pavlína Ingrová: Masaryk University
Iwona Wronka: Jagiellonian University
Radomir Jurić: Matica Hrvatska Zadar
Anna Hyrchała: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Barbara Niezabitowska-Wiśniewska: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Bartłomiej Bartecki: Rev. Stanisław Staszic Museum
Beata Borowska: University of Łódź
Tomasz Dzieńkowski: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Marcin Wołoszyn: Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe
Michał Wojenka: Jagiellonian University
Jarosław Wilczyński: Polish Academy of Sciences
Małgorzata Kot: University of Warsaw
Eric Müller: State Archaeology Department of Schleswig-Holstein
Jörg Orschiedt: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt and State Museum of Prehistory
Gunita Zariņa: University of Latvia
Päivi Onkamo: Masaryk University
Falko Daim: University of Vienna
Arnold Muhl: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt and State Museum of Prehistory
Ralf Schwarz: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt and State Museum of Prehistory
Marek Majer: University of Łódź
Michael McCormick: Harvard University
Jan Květina: Czech Academy of Sciences
Tivadar Vida: Eötvös Loránd University
Patrick J. Geary: Institute for Advanced Study
Jiří Macháček: Masaryk University
Mario Šlaus: Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Harald Meller: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt and State Museum of Prehistory
Walter Pohl: University of Vienna
Zuzana Hofmanová: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Johannes Krause: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Nature, 2025, vol. 646, issue 8084, 384-393

Abstract: Abstract The second half of the first millennium ce in Central and Eastern Europe was accompanied by fundamental cultural and political transformations. This period of change is commonly associated with the appearance of the Slavs, which is supported by textual evidence1,2 and coincides with the emergence of similar archaeological horizons3–6. However, so far there has been no consensus on whether this archaeological horizon spread by migration, Slavicisation or a combination of both. Genetic data remain sparse, especially owing to the widespread practice of cremation in the early phase of the Slavic settlement. Here we present genome-wide data from 555 ancient individuals, including 359 samples from Slavic contexts from as early as the seventh century ce. Our data demonstrate large-scale population movement from Eastern Europe during the sixth to eighth centuries, replacing more than 80% of the local gene pool in Eastern Germany, Poland and Croatia. Yet, we also show substantial regional heterogeneity as well as a lack of sex-biased admixture, indicating varying degrees of cultural assimilation of the autochthonous populations. Comparing archaeological and genetic evidence, we find that the change in ancestry in Eastern Germany coincided with a change in social organization, characterized by an intensification of inter- and intra-site genetic relatedness and patrilocality. On the European scale, it appears plausible that the changes in material culture and language between the sixth and eighth centuries were connected to these large-scale population movements.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09437-6

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