A man buried in Germany in the Middle Neolithic era

I0172
Portrait reconstruction
Disclaimer: The portrait shown is a speculative reconstruction and not the actual face of the ancient sample. It represents an artistic interpretation based on archaeological data.
Specimen Details
Sample ID:
I0172
Date:
3363 BCE - 3029 BCE
Biological Sex:
Male
mtDNA:
T2b
Y-DNA:
I-S2703
Cultural Period:
Middle Neolithic Esperstedt, Germany
Location
Country:
Germany
Locality:
Esperstedt
Coordinates:
51.4200, 11.6800
Map Location
Historical Timeline
Description

The Middle Neolithic period in Esperstedt, Germany, is particularly notable for its ties to the Linear Pottery Culture (abbreviated as LBK from the German \Linearbandkeramik"). This culture is of significant archaeological and historical importance, stretching from approximately 5500 to 4500 BCE. The Linear Pottery Culture is considered one of the earliest farming communities in Central Europe, and Esperstedt serves as a critical site for understanding the spread and development of this culture.

Geographic and Environmental Context

Esperstedt is located in what is now Saxony-Anhalt, a region characterized by fertile loess soils which were ideal for early agricultural practices. The area offers a rich natural environment with access to water bodies, forests, and open land, providing a diversity of resources that supported settlements.

Subsistence and Economy

The communities of the LBK were among the first in Central Europe to adopt full-scale agriculture, transitioning from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to practices that included the cultivation of crops and domestication of animals. Key crops included primitive forms of wheat and barley, as well as legumes such as peas and lentils. Livestock, predominantly cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep, supplemented this agricultural base.

This shift to agriculture allowed for more permanent settlements and a reliable food source, which in turn supported population growth and social development. The LBK people were also engaged in some wild food gathering and hunting, which balanced their diet and added variety.

Settlement Patterns

Esperstedt, like many LBK sites, features longhouse settlements. These rectangular, timber-framed structures were sizeable and served multiple functions as homes, storage facilities, and perhaps communal or ritual centers. Settlements typically feature groups of these longhouses positioned with consideration for both communal living and agricultural productivity.

The settlement patterns reveal a mix of centralized village-like structures with extensive surrounding farmland. The layout suggests a degree of social organization and community planning, with infrastructure to support collective activities.

Art and Material Culture

The Linear Pottery Culture is renowned for its distinctive ceramic styles, notably the eponymous linear band decorations on pottery. These ceramics were primarily utilitarian but also served social and perhaps ceremonial purposes. The pottery is often characterized by its precise linear incisions and geometric patterns.

Other artifacts discovered in the region include stone tools, which were carefully crafted using flint and other available stones. Tools such as adzes, axes, and arrowheads highlight the proficiency in tool-making and the importance of both agriculture and hunting in daily life.

Social Structure and Interactions

The LBK communities exhibited social complexity with evidence of trade and interaction across regions. Artifacts suggest contact with distant cultures, facilitated by pathways such as rivers that connected these early societies. Exchange networks likely included goods like flint and the sharing of ideological or cultural practices, leading to social cohesion across broader areas.

Family units probably formed the basic social structure, with potential evidence of hierarchy or elders guiding communal decisions, as suggested by interpretations of settlement layouts and burial practices.

Rituals and Beliefs

While direct evidence is limited, the LBK communities likely practiced rituals linked to agricultural cycles and deity worship, as inferred from burial sites and occasional findings of figurines or symbolic objects. These suggest a belief system intertwined with their agrarian lifestyle, emphasizing fertility and the seasons.

Conclusion

The Middle Neolithic Esperstedt associated with the Linear Pottery Culture offers a window into early European farming life. The blend of agricultural innovation, crafted artifacts, and communal living reflects a pivotal period in human history, marking a transition toward more structured societies and setting the stage for subsequent cultural developments in Neolithic Europe. Through continued archaeological efforts, sites like Esperstedt help unravel the complexities of these early communities and their enduring influence on European prehistory."

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Sample ID Culture/Period Date Location Action
I0172 Middle Neolithic Esperstedt, Germany 3363 BCE Esperstedt, Germany View
Ancient Genetic Admixture

Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I0172) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.

Neolithic Farmers 67%
European Hunter-Gatherers 20%
Western Steppe Pastoralists 13%
Modern Genetic Admixture

Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I0172) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles modern populations from different geographic regions.

These results complement the ancient ancestry components shown in the previous section, offering a different perspective on the individual's genetic profile by comparing it with modern reference populations rather than prehistoric ancestral groups.

Europe 96%
Southern European 96%
Iberian 36.3%
Italian 32.6%
Sardinian 27.2%
Africa 4%
North African 4%
North African 3.6%
Asia 0%
Northern West Asian 0%
G25 Coordinates

The G25 coordinates for the sample I0172 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.

I0172,0.11990254,0.15835588,0.02543886,-0.0388948,0.05604388,-0.01948782,-0.00227814,0.00442154,0.0366456,0.06605752,-0.00373058,0.01389984,-0.02524468,-0.01511562,-0.00985218,0.00353834,0.01389362,0.0003262,0.00020372,-0.00377954,-0.0006691,0.00329414,-0.01156782,-0.01621778,0.00355876
Analyze it in G25 Studio
Scientific Papers References
Genome-wide patterns of selection in 230 ancient Eurasians
Authors:
Mathieson I, Lazaridis I, Rohland N
Abstract:

Ancient DNA makes it possible to observe natural selection directly by analysing samples from populations before, during and after adaptation events. Here we report a genome-wide scan for selection using ancient DNA, capitalizing on the largest ancient DNA data set yet assembled: 230 West Eurasians who lived between 6500 and 300 bc, including 163 with newly reported data. The new samples include, to our knowledge, the first genome-wide ancient DNA from Anatolian Neolithic farmers, whose genetic material we obtained by extracting from petrous bones, and who we show were members of the population that was the source of Europe's first farmers. We also report a transect of the steppe region in Samara between 5600 and 300 bc, which allows us to identify admixture into the steppe from at least two external sources. We detect selection at loci associated with diet, pigmentation and immunity, and two independent episodes of selection on height.

Link:
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