A man buried in Russia in the Middle Bronze Age era

The Poltavka culture, a Middle Bronze Age culture of the Eurasian Steppe, emerged approximately between 2700 and 2100 BCE. This culture is considered a descendant of the earlier Yamnaya culture and is often discussed in relation to its contemporaries, such as the Catacomb culture, with which it shares some overlapping characteristics and geographical territories.
Geography and Environment:
The Poltavka culture was situated primarily in the steppes of what is now southern Russia and western Kazakhstan. This region is characterized by vast open grasslands, ideal for pastoral nomadism, which was the predominant lifestyle of the Poltavka people. The climate in these regions featured cold winters and warm summers, facilitating a reliance on herd animals that could graze in the expansive plains.
Social Structure and Lifestyle:
The Poltavka culture was primarily pastoral, relying on herds of cattle, sheep, and horses. This pastoralist economy suggests a society that was relatively mobile, with a semi-nomadic lifestyle. The presence of horse burials indicates the importance of horses for transportation and possibly even early forms of mounted warfare or mobility, which would later become a hallmark of steppe cultures.
The social structure of the Poltavka people, inferred from burial practices and settlement patterns, suggests a hierarchical society. The complexity of burial mounds (kurgans) indicates social stratification, with leaders or individuals of higher status receiving more elaborate burials. These kurgans often contained grave goods, such as pottery and weaponry, signifying the deceased’s status and role within the community.
Material Culture and Technology:
Poltavka material culture exhibits a transition from the simpler forms seen in the Yamnaya period to more advanced toolmaking and pottery. Poltavka pottery is generally characterized by its undecorated forms used for everyday purposes, although some later examples show minimal decoration which might signify aesthetic development or cultural influences from neighboring cultures.
The people of the Poltavka culture also utilized metal, with evidence of copper and bronze tools, and weapons found in burial contexts. The skill in metallurgy is evidenced through the production of items such as daggers, axes, and ornamental items, suggesting both a practical and economic use of metal resources.
Burial Practices:
Burial practices in the Poltavka culture are notably significant for understanding their societal and spiritual beliefs. The kurgans, or burial mounds, are a prominent feature of their mortuary practices, often containing individual burials accompanied by grave goods. Horses, found in some high-status burials, further underscore the animal's significance culturally and economically. The orientation and structure of these burials suggest a belief in an afterlife or an understanding of the spiritual significance of death.
Interactions and Influence:
The Poltavka culture was not isolated; it interacted with neighboring cultures, including the Catacomb and Abashevo cultures. These interactions are evident in shared burial practices and similarities in material culture. Trade or conflict likely facilitated cultural exchanges, evident in the integration or adaptation of foreign materials and technologies.
Legacy:
The Poltavka culture plays a crucial role in the ancestry of later steppe cultures, contributing to the spread of Indo-European languages across the region. Their developments in horse domestication and pastoral economy paved the way for the rise of subsequent cultures like the Srubnaya and Andronovo. The cultural memory and practices of the Poltavka people also arguably set a precedent for the nomadic lifestyles that came to dominate the steppe regions in later centuries.
In conclusion, the Middle Bronze Age Poltavka culture represents a significant period in the evolution of Eurasian steppe societies. Their advances in social organization, material culture, and mobility set the foundations for the dynamic historical transformations that followed in the region.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
I0442 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2800 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Bolshoi Irgiz River. Zhuravlikha I, Russia | View |
I6294 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2877 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Sok River. Grachevka, Russia | View |
I7671 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2885 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Bobrovka, Russia | View |
I8745 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2500 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Nikolaevka Kurgan, Russia | View |
I0374 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2800 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Nikolaevka III, Russia | 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 |
I0418 | Middle Bronze Poltavka | 2131 BCE | Samara Oblast. Volga River Valley. Samara River. Utyevka VI, Russia | View |
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I0371) 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 (I0371) 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 I0371 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
I0371,0.11499828,0.0760996,0.03935924,0.05262052,-0.00333324,0.02118332,0.01066888,0.01031544,-0.01892676,-0.0329612,0.00338136,-0.00425436,0.00768128,0.00063364,-0.00064588,-0.0027312,-0.00400704,-0.00197268,-0.00206132,-0.00576556,-0.00021816,-0.0001244,-0.00589352,0.0077032,-0.00130406
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.