A man buried in Hungary in the Early Neolithic era

The Starčevo culture, also known as the Starčevo-Cris culture, represents an important phase in the early Neolithic period in Southeast Europe, dating approximately from 6200 to 5200 BCE. This culture is considered one of the first farming communities in the region and played a significant role in the spread of agriculture across Europe, marking a transition from hunter-gatherer societies to more settled agrarian communities. The Starčevo culture is part of a broader Neolithic phenomenon that includes similar developments in nearby regions such as the Körös and Criș cultures.
Geographical Distribution
The Starčevo culture primarily developed in the areas that are present-day Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia, with sites also appearing in Romania and Slovakia. It is named after the type site at Starčevo, near Belgrade, Serbia, but its influence extended across the Carpathian Basin, particularly in Southern and Central Hungary.
Settlement Patterns
Starčevo settlements were typically situated along river valleys and on fertile plains. These sites were usually small, consisting of a few houses made with wattle and daub, indicating a relatively low population density. The settlements displayed organized spatial arrangements, suggesting a degree of social organization and planning. Archaeological evidence shows that the Starčevo peoples preferred locations that offered both access to water and fertile land suitable for early farming.
Agricultural Practices
The Starčevo culture is characterized by its adoption of agriculture, which included the cultivation of crops such as emmer wheat, barley, lentils, and peas. These early farmers also engaged in animal husbandry, domesticating animals like cattle, pigs, and sheep. This shift to farming would have significantly affected their way of life, allowing for more permanent settlements and the development of surplus food supplies.
Material Culture and Tools
Starčevo material culture is distinguished by its ceramics, which were typically undecorated or simply decorated with incised or impressed motifs. Pottery shapes included bowls, dishes, and storage jars. Stone tools continued to be significant, with polished stone axes and flint implements being commonly found at Starčevo sites. These tools were essential for farming, animal husbandry, and crafting other necessary items for daily life.
Social and Cultural Aspects
The Starčevo culture indicates a transition towards more complex social structures. While not much is known about their societal organization, the spread of similar cultural traits over a wide area suggests some form of communication and interaction between disparate groups. This culture likely had a system of communal living or small family-based clans that cooperated in farming and shared resources.
Religious and Ritual Practices
The Starčevo people might have had spiritual or religious beliefs connected to nature, fertility, and agricultural cycles, as indicated by the occasional presence of figurines and burial practices. However, concrete evidence of specific religious practices is limited, making it difficult to fully understand their spiritual life.
Influence and Legacy
The significance of the Starčevo culture lies in its position at the forefront of the Neolithic revolution in Europe. It represents one of the earliest examples of organized agricultural society on the continent, which set the stage for subsequent cultural developments. The innovations in farming, pottery, and settlement layouts that characterized the Starčevo culture contributed to the foundation upon which later Neolithic cultures in Europe would build.
In summary, the Starčevo culture represents a pivotal moment in European prehistory, marking the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer groups to settled agricultural communities. Its advancements in agriculture, settlement patterns, and material culture had long-lasting impacts, facilitating the spread of the Neolithic lifestyle across Europe.
Sample ID | Culture/Period | Date | Location | Action |
---|---|---|---|---|
I0234 | Srubnaya Culture | 1850 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara Steppes. Rozhdestveno I, Russia | View |
I0126 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2867 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Kutuluk River. Kutuluk III, Russia | View |
I0432 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2925 BCE | Samara Oblast. Sok River. Potapovka I, Russia | View |
I0434 | Eneolithic Khvalynsk Culture, Russia | 5198 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Khvalynsk II, Russia | View |
I0433 | Eneolithic Khvalynsk Culture, Russia | 4697 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Khvalynsk II, Russia | View |
I0122 | Eneolithic Khvalynsk Culture, Russia | 4936 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Khvalynsk II, Russia | View |
I0124 | Hunter-Gatherer Samara, Russia | 5660 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Lebyazhinka, Russia | View |
I0370 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3300 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Eastern Orenburg. Pre-Ural steppe. Ishkinovka I, Russia | View |
I0441 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3010 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Buzuluk. Kurmanaevka III, Russia | View |
I0444 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3335 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Kutuluk River. Kutuluk, Russia | View |
I0439 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3322 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Lopatino I, Russia | View |
I0357 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3093 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Lopatino I, Russia | View |
I0429 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3339 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Lopatino I, Russia | View |
I1282 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1302 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1276 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1284 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1274 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1280 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1314 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1277 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2570 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1272 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2857 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1281 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2867 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1300 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I0807 | Middle Neolithic Baalberge Culture, Germany | 3977 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0559 | Middle Neolithic Baalberge Culture, Germany | 3646 BCE | Quedlinburg Site IX, Germany | View |
I0560 | Middle Neolithic Baalberge Culture, Germany | 3637 BCE | Quedlinburg Site IX, Germany | View |
I1546 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Benzingerode-Heimburg, Germany | View |
I0806 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2433 BCE | Quedlinburg Site VII, Germany | View |
I0805 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2465 BCE | Quedlinburg Site VII, Germany | View |
I0113 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2396 BCE | Quedlinburg Site XII, Germany | View |
I0112 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2455 BCE | Quedlinburg Site XII, Germany | View |
I1530 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2456 BCE | Rothenschirmbach, Germany | View |
I0111 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2474 BCE | Rothenschirmbach, Germany | View |
I0108 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2575 BCE | Rothenschirmbach, Germany | View |
I0171 | Late Neolithic Benzigerode-Heimburg, Germany | 2288 BCE | Benzingerode-Heimburg, Germany | View |
I0059 | Late Neolithic Benzigerode-Heimburg, Germany | 2343 BCE | Benzingerode-Heimburg, Germany | View |
I1542 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I1536 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I1544 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I1538 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I1539 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2630 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0106 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2461 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I1540 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I1541 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I1532 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0049 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2463 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0211 | Hunter-Gatherer Karelia, Russia | 7050 BCE | Karelia. Yuzhnyy Oleni Ostrov, Russia | View |
I0061 | Hunter-Gatherer Karelia, Russia | 7050 BCE | Karelia. Yuzhnyy Oleni Ostrov, Russia | View |
I0550 | Late Neolithic Karsdorf, Germany | 2572 BCE | Karsdorf, Germany | View |
I0797 | Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Germany | 5500 BCE | Karsdorf, Germany | View |
I0795 | Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Germany | 5215 BCE | Karsdorf, Germany | View |
I0176 | Middle Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Hungary | 5209 BCE | Szemely-Hegyes, Hungary | View |
I0551 | Middle Neolithic Salzmuende Culture, Germany | 3400 BCE | Salzmünde-Schiepzig, Germany | View |
I0409 | Early Neolithic Spain | 5312 BCE | Els Trocs, Spain | View |
I0411 | Early Neolithic Spain | 5298 BCE | Els Trocs, Spain | View |
I0405 | Middle to Late Neolithic Spain | 3900 BCE | La Mina, Spain | View |
I0174 | Early Neolithic Starčevo Culture 1, Hungary | 5712 BCE | Alsonyek-Bataszek. Mérnöki telep, Hungary | View |
I0115 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 1959 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0117 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 2276 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0804 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 2139 BCE | Eulau, Germany | View |
I0803 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 2135 BCE | Eulau, Germany | View |
I0164 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 2027 BCE | Quedlinburg Site VIII, Germany | View |
I0114 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 2141 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0022 | Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Germany | 5500 BCE | Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart-Mühlhausen. Viesenhaeuser Hof, Germany | View |
I0026 | Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Germany | 5500 BCE | Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart-Mühlhausen. Viesenhaeuser Hof, Germany | View |
I0013 | Hunter-Gatherer Motala, Sweden | 5966 BCE | Motala. Kanaljorden, Sweden | View |
I0011 | Hunter-Gatherer Motala, Sweden | 5721 BCE | Motala. Kanaljorden, Sweden | View |
I0015 | Hunter-Gatherer Motala, Sweden | 5967 BCE | Motala. Kanaljorden, Sweden | View |
I0012 | Hunter-Gatherer Motala, Sweden | 5715 BCE | Motala. Kanaljorden, Sweden | View |
I0014 | Hunter-Gatherer Motala, Sweden | 5885 BCE | Motala. Kanaljorden, Sweden | View |
I0017 | Hunter-Gatherer Motala, Sweden | 5722 BCE | Motala. Kanaljorden, Sweden | View |
I1508 | Early Neolithic Körös Culture, Hungary | 5716 BCE | Berettyóújfalu-Morotva-Liget, Hungary | View |
I1500 | Middle Neolithic Alföld Linear Pottery Culture, Hungary | 5301 BCE | Kompolt-Kigyoser, Hungary | View |
I1100 | Neolithic Turkey | 6500 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1102 | Neolithic Turkey | 6500 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1099 | Neolithic Turkey | 6500 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1103 | Neolithic Turkey | 6500 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1101 | Neolithic Turkey | 6500 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1097 | Neolithic Turkey | 6420 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0744 | Neolithic Turkey | 6400 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1096 | Neolithic Turkey | 6500 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1098 | Neolithic Turkey | 6419 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0708 | Neolithic Turkey | 6224 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0745 | Neolithic Turkey | 6387 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0746 | Neolithic Turkey | 6070 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0707 | Neolithic Turkey | 6225 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0709 | Neolithic Turkey | 6223 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0725 | Neolithic Turkey | 6400 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View |
I0736 | Neolithic Turkey | 6500 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1499 | Middle Neolithic Alföld Linear Pottery Culture Bükk Group, Hungary | 5286 BCE | Garadna, Hungary | View |
I1502 | Early Bronze Age Makó Culture, Hungary | 2195 BCE | Kompolt-Kigyoser, Hungary | View |
I1497 | Late Chalcolithic Baden Culture, Hungary | 3320 BCE | Apc-Berekalya I, Hungary | View |
I1495 | Late Neolithic Lengyel Culture, Hungary | 4496 BCE | Apc-Berekalya I, Hungary | View |
I1498 | Middle Neolithic Alföld Linear Pottery Culture, Hungary | 5297 BCE | Debrecen Tocopart Erdoalja, Hungary | View |
I1507 | Early Neolithic Hunter-Gatherer Körös Culture, Hungary | 5788 BCE | Tiszaszolos-Domaháza, Hungary | View |
I1496 | Middle Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Hungary | 5211 BCE | Apc-Berekalya I, Hungary | View |
I1505 | Middle Neolithic Alföld Linear Pottery Culture, Hungary | 5210 BCE | Polgár-Ferenci hát. M3-31, Hungary | View |
I1271 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1303 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I1549 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Benzingerode-Heimburg, Germany | View |
I0407 | Middle to Late Neolithic Spain | 3900 BCE | La Mina, Spain | View |
I0025 | Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Germany | 5500 BCE | Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart-Mühlhausen. Viesenhaeuser Hof, Germany | View |
I0247 | Questionable Iron Age Scythian, Russia | 385 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Volga Steppes. Nadezhdinka, Russia | View |
I0423 | Srubnaya Culture | 1850 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Barinovka I, Russia | View |
I0443 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3300 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Lopatino II, Russia | View |
I0726 | Neolithic Turkey | 6400 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View |
I0103 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2617 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0172 | Middle Neolithic Esperstedt, Germany | 3363 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0408 | Middle to Late Neolithic Spain | 3895 BCE | La Mina, Spain | View |
I0412 | Early Neolithic Spain | 5309 BCE | Els Trocs, Spain | View |
I0054 | Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, Germany | 5216 BCE | Unterwiederstedt, Germany | View |
I0104 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2563 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0116 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 2137 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0118 | Late Neolithic Alberstedt, Germany | 2469 BCE | Alberstedt, Germany | View |
I0406 | Middle to Late Neolithic Spain | 3900 BCE | La Mina, Spain | View |
I0410 | Early Neolithic Spain | 5298 BCE | Els Trocs, Spain | View |
I0413 | Early Neolithic Spain | 5304 BCE | Els Trocs, Spain | View |
I0235 | Srubnaya Culture | 1850 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara Steppes. Rozhdestveno I, Russia | View |
I0374 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2800 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Nikolaevka III, Russia | View |
I1583 | Neolithic Turkey | 6424 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0581 | Chalcolithic Spain | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View |
I0440 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2887 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Lopatino II, Russia | View |
I0371 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2871 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Grachevka, Russia | View |
I0438 | Early Bronze Samara Yamnaya | 3020 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Luzkhi I, Russia | View |
I0418 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2131 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Utyevka VI, Russia | View |
I0099 | Late Bronze Age Halberstadt, Germany | 1202 BCE | Halberstadt-Sonntagsfeld, Germany | View |
I0047 | Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture, Germany | 2116 BCE | Halberstadt-Sonntagsfeld, Germany | View |
I1534 | Corded Ware Culture, Germany | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View |
I0060 | Bell Beaker Culture, Germany | 2404 BCE | Rothenschirmbach, Germany | View |
I0723 | Neolithic Turkey | 6008 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View |
I0724 | Neolithic Turkey | 6400 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View |
I0727 | Neolithic Turkey | 6400 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View |
I1580 | Neolithic Turkey | 6381 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1581 | Neolithic Turkey | 6386 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1585 | Neolithic Turkey | 6217 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I1579 | Neolithic Turkey | 6221 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0854 | Neolithic Turkey | 6228 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View |
I0581 | 2900 BCE | Burgos. Atapuerca. El Mirador Cave, Spain | View | |
I0440 | 2887 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Lopatino II, Russia | View | |
I0418 | 2131 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Utyevka VI, Russia | View | |
I0438 | 3020 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Luzkhi I, Russia | View | |
I0585 | 5982 BCE | Leon. La Brana-Arintero, Spain | View | |
I1534 | 2500 BCE | Esperstedt, Germany | View | |
I1504 | 987 BCE | Ludas-Varjú dűlő, Hungary | View | |
I0099 | 1202 BCE | Halberstadt-Sonntagsfeld, Germany | View | |
I0047 | 2116 BCE | Halberstadt-Sonntagsfeld, Germany | View | |
I1579 | 6221 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View | |
I1581 | 6386 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View | |
I1580 | 6381 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View | |
I1585 | 6217 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View | |
I1583 | 6424 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View | |
I0727 | 6400 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View | |
I0724 | 6400 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View | |
I0854 | 6228 BCE | Northwest Anatolia. Marmara. Barcın, Turkey | View | |
I0723 | 6008 BCE | Menteşe, Turkey | View | |
I0371 | 2871 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Grachevka, Russia | View | |
I0060 | 2404 BCE | Rothenschirmbach, Germany | View |
Sample ID | Culture/Period | Date | Location | Action |
---|---|---|---|---|
I0174 | Early Neolithic Starčevo Culture 1, Hungary | 5712 BCE | Alsonyek-Bataszek. Mérnöki telep, Hungary | View |
I1876 | Early Neolithic Starčevo Culture 1, Hungary | 5656 BCE | Alsonyek-Bataszek. Mérnöki telep, Hungary | View |
I1878 | Early Neolithic Starčevo Culture 1, Hungary | 5830 BCE | Alsonyek-Bataszek. Mérnöki telep, Hungary | View |
I17927 | Early Neolithic Starčevo Culture 1, Hungary | 5631 BCE | Vörs-Màriaasszonysziget (Zala County, Marcali), Hungary | View |
I29876 | Early Neolithic Starčevo Culture 1, Hungary | 5700 BCE | West of Danube, Siklós-elkerülö út (Siklós-Csukman dülö), Hungary | View |
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I0174) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.
Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I0174) 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.
The G25 coordinates for the sample I0174 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
I0174,0.1066379,0.1591372,0.005235,-0.0635212,0.0461959,-0.0305716,-0.0035065,0.0032046,0.0434835,0.0616744,-0.0002532,0.0083336,-0.0130619,-0.0116763,-0.0125858,0.0076748,0.0096976,0.0010681,0.0019265,-0.0008062,0.0023609,0.0069195,-0.0125245,-0.0175776,0.00281267
Genome-wide patterns of selection in 230 ancient Eurasians
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.