New DNA Analysis Unravels the Marriage Practices of an Ancient Warrior People [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Researchers examined over 400 skeletons to uncover secrets from the Avar empire

Julia Binswanger
Daily Correspondent

April 26, 2024 2:11 p.m.



A golden figure from the 7th century found at the Avar cemetery in Rákóczifalva, Hungary Damjanich János Museum, Szolnok

New DNA research is shedding light on the lifestyle of a warrior people called the Avars, a mysterious group who ruled much of Central and Eastern Europe around 1,500 years ago.

The Avars, once a nomadic people, migrated from Central Asia to Eastern Europe in the 6th century and conquered significant territories, including parts of present-day Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. At one point, their fearsome empire almost took control of Constantinople

The new study, which appeared in the journal Nature on April 24, uses DNA analysis to map Avar family trees over the course of three centuries. The warrior culture left behind large grave sites with decorative tombs filled with weapons, jewelry and even horses. Experts were able to look at 424 skeletons in four different cemeteries in Hungary and learn more about Avar life.

“What surprised me most was the simple fact that these people in the cemeteries are so interconnected,” Zsófia Rácz, a study coauthor and researcher at Eötvös Loránd University’s Institute of Archaeological Sciences in Budapest, Hungary, tells CNN’s Katie Hunt.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-dna-analysis-unravels-the-marriage-practices-of-an-ancient-warrior-people-180984239/