A man buried in Italy in the Late Bronze Age era
The Late Bronze Age in Sicily, roughly spanning from 1300 to 900 BCE, is a period of profound cultural transformation and interaction for the island, influenced by its geographical position in the central Mediterranean. During this era, Sicily served as a crossroads for various ancient civilizations, including the Mycenaeans, Phoenicians, and other Italic peoples. This position fostered a unique blend of cultural influences that defined the Late Bronze Age on the island.
Archaeological Evidence and Settlements:
Archaeological findings from this period indicate a shift from earlier settlements to more complex social structures. Settlements like those at Thapsos and Pantalica reveal organized urban planning, with evidence of both domestic and communal buildings. Thapsos, located near modern Syracuse, is particularly noted for its fortified settlements and extensive use of stone in construction, indicating an increase in population and the need for structured defenses.
Material Culture:
The material culture of Late Bronze Age Sicily reflects a significant degree of external influence, primarily from the Aegean region. Pottery from this era exhibits Mycenaean styles, with locally produced ceramics imitating the decorated motifs of imported Aegean wares. These artifacts suggest strong trade links with the Greek mainland and Crete, supporting theories of Mycenaean presence on the island.
In addition to pottery, metallurgy saw advancements during this period. Bronze tools and weapons became increasingly sophisticated, and the presence of Aegean-type swords and tools in Sicily suggests either local production under foreign influence or direct importation.
Trade and Economy:
Sicily's strategic position in the Mediterranean facilitated active participation in long-distance trade networks. The island's natural resources, especially its fertile lands and product diversity, made it an attractive trade partner. Products such as grain, olives, wine, and possibly mined metals were likely exchanged for exotic items, including high-quality pottery, textiles, and luxury goods from the eastern Mediterranean.
Social and Political Structures:
The social structure of Late Bronze Age Sicily remains a topic of research and debate, but evidence suggests a move towards more hierarchical societies. The presence of large, organized settlements with specialized areas for religious or communal activities hints at a degree of social stratification. The construction of complex necropolises, such as the rock-cut tombs at Pantalica, indicates not just a developed approach to burial practices but also a likely reflection of social status.
Religious and Cultural Aspects:
Religious practices during this phase were diverse, with influences from both indigenous traditions and foreign contacts. The artifacts and burial sites suggest ancestor worship and ritual offerings played significant roles in the spiritual life of the inhabitants. The complexity of the tomb architecture and grave goods often found with the deceased imply beliefs in an afterlife and the continuation of social status beyond death.
Conclusion:
Late Bronze Age Sicily represents a dynamic period where local traditions and foreign influences synthesized to produce a distinctive cultural identity. This era set the stage for subsequent historical developments on the island, as the indigenous cultures interacted with emerging external powers, including the Phoenicians and later the Greeks. The archaeological remnants from this time offer invaluable insights into the economic, social, and cultural transformations that occurred due to these interactions.
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I3876) 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 (I3876) 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 I3876 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
I3876,0.1057852,0.15580376,0.00694542,-0.0453399,0.03570872,-0.02007524,-0.0031728,0.00216564,0.02964236,0.04621494,-0.00158602,0.00675892,-0.01244128,-0.00861496,-0.00403208,0.00468628,0.00098618,-0.00051074,0.00033614,-0.00134446,0.00155026,0.00452134,-0.00968272,-0.0113393,0.00158746
The spread of steppe and Iranian-related ancestry in the islands of the western Mediterranean
Steppe-pastoralist-related ancestry reached Central Europe by at least 2500 BC, whereas Iranian farmer-related ancestry was present in Aegean Europe by at least 1900 BC. However, the spread of these ancestries into the western Mediterranean, where they have contributed to many populations that live today, remains poorly understood. Here, we generated genome-wide ancient-DNA data from the Balearic Islands, Sicily and Sardinia, increasing the number of individuals with reported data from 5 to 66. The oldest individual from the Balearic Islands (~2400 BC) carried ancestry from steppe pastoralists that probably derived from west-to-east migration from Iberia, although two later Balearic individuals had less ancestry from steppe pastoralists. In Sicily, steppe pastoralist ancestry arrived by ~2200 BC, in part from Iberia; Iranian-related ancestry arrived by the mid-second millennium BC, contemporary to its previously documented spread to the Aegean; and there was large-scale population replacement after the Bronze Age. In Sardinia, nearly all ancestry derived from the island's early farmers until the first millennium BC, with the exception of an outlier from the third millennium BC, who had primarily North African ancestry and who-along with an approximately contemporary Iberian-documents widespread Africa-to-Europe gene flow in the Chalcolithic. Major immigration into Sardinia began in the first millennium BC and, at present, no more than 56-62% of Sardinian ancestry is from its first farmers. This value is lower than previous estimates, highlighting that Sardinia, similar to every other region in Europe, has been a stage for major movement and mixtures of people.