A woman buried in Hungary in the Early Bronze Age era

RISE371
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:
RISE371
Date:
2137 BCE - 1939 BCE
Biological Sex:
Female
mtDNA:
U5a2b
Y-DNA:
Not applicable
Cultural Period:
Early Bronze Age Maros Culture, Hungary
Location
Country:
Hungary
Locality:
Szöreg-C (Sziv Utca)
Coordinates:
46.2200, 20.1990
Map Location
Historical Timeline
Description

The Maros Culture, also known as the Mureș Culture, is part of the broader Early Bronze Age landscape of Central and Southeastern Europe. Emerging around 2700-1500 BCE, this culture developed primarily in the Carpathian Basin, which is modern-day Hungary, parts of Romania, and Serbia. Recognizing its significance allows us to appreciate the cultural and societal advancements that characterized this period.

Geographic and Environmental Context

The Maros Culture flourished in the fertile plains along the Mureș River (known as Maros in Hungarian), which provided ample resources for agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade. The proximity to the river allowed the Maros people to cultivate crops like barley and wheat and rear livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The rich natural environment not only supported a stable economy but also facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas with neighboring cultures.

Social Organization and Settlement Patterns

The Maros Culture demonstrated a complex social organization, as evidenced by distinct settlement patterns. Villages were typically located on elevated terrains near water sources, which provided strategic advantages for defense and trade. Settlements were characterized by rectangular or oval houses with wattle and daub construction, indicating a semi-permanent residency. Such stable settlements imply a degree of social organization and community planning.

Burial practices in the Maros Culture provide insights into their social hierarchy. The dead were often interred in flat graves or barrows, with distinctions in grave goods suggesting variations in social status. More elaborate burials consisted of items like pottery, ornaments, and tools made from bronze, revealing the existence of a stratified society with chieftains or elite classes.

Material Culture and Technology

The Early Bronze Age witnessed significant technological innovations, and the Maros Culture was no exception. The people were adept metallurgists, skillfully crafting tools and weapons from bronze, which marked a departure from the earlier Stone Age practices. Bronze daggers, axes, and ornaments were prevalent, reflecting both functional uses and social or ritual significance.

Pottery from this culture is notable for its craftsmanship and decoration. Maros pottery often featured intricate designs and was typically made with a high level of skill, indicative of specialized potters within the community. The motifs and styles of Maros ceramics provide essential data for understanding cultural influences and interactions with neighboring groups.

Trade and Cultural Interactions

The strategic position of the Maros Culture in Central Europe facilitated extensive trade networks. There is evidence of trade in raw materials like flint, obsidian, and salt, as well as finished products like bronze items and pottery. These networks linked the Maros people to other contemporaneous cultures such as the Únětice Culture to the north and the Vučedol Culture to the south, promoting cultural exchanges that enriched the social and material complexity of the society.

Religion and Ritual

Although definitive evidence of religious practices in the Maros Culture is scarce, the burial customs and ritualistic objects found in graves suggest a belief system that honored ancestors and possibly deities associated with life, death, and nature. The presence of figurines and decorated pottery in certain burial contexts may imply rituals connected to fertility, protection, or the afterlife.

Linguistic and Ethnic Considerations

While the Maros Culture was undoubtedly influenced by Indo-European migrations, pinpointing a specific linguistic or ethnic identity is challenging due to the lack of written records. However, the spread of Indo-European languages likely influenced cultural assimilation, bringing together diverse groups under shared cultural practices.

Legacy and Influence

The Maros Culture left a lasting impact on the region's subsequent cultural developments. As part of the broader Early Bronze Age transformations, it contributed to the foundation of complex societies in Central Europe, influencing later cultural entities and the evolution of European prehistoric societies.

In summary, the Maros Culture represents a dynamic period in Central Europe's prehistory, showcasing advancements in social organization, metallurgy, trade, and cultural interactions. Its legacy is a testament to the intricate web of human society during the Early Bronze Age, laying the groundwork for the future civilizations of the region.

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RISE480 1700 BCE Erd 4, Hungary View
RISE483 2000 BCE Erd 4, Hungary View
RISE484 2000 BCE Erd 4, Hungary View
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RISE487 3485 BCE Lombardy. Remedello di Sotto, Italy View
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RISE503 1731 BCE Kytmanovo, Russia View
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RISE511 2909 BCE Bateni, Russia View
RISE512 1488 BCE Kytmanovo, Russia View
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Sample ID Culture/Period Date Location Action
RISE373 Early Bronze Age Maros Culture, Hungary 1887 BCE Szöreg-C (Sziv Utca), Hungary View
RISE374 Early Bronze Age Maros Culture, Hungary 1872 BCE Szöreg-C (Sziv Utca), Hungary View
RISE349 Early Bronze Age Maros Culture, Hungary 2034 BCE Battonya Vörös Oktober, Hungary View
RISE371 Early Bronze Age Maros Culture, Hungary 2137 BCE Szöreg-C (Sziv Utca), Hungary View
Ancient Genetic Admixture

Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (RISE371) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.

Western Steppe Pastoralists 43%
Neolithic Farmers 29%
European Hunter-Gatherers 24%
Ancient Asians 5%
Modern Genetic Admixture

Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (RISE371) 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 93%
Northwestern European 54%
English 34.8%
Scandinavian 16.5%
Northwestern European 2.8%
Southern European 39%
Italian 19.5%
Balkan 16.7%
Sardinian 2.4%
Africa 5%
North African 5%
Egyptian 4.6%
Asia 3%
Chinese & Southeast Asian 3%
Chinese 2.6%
G25 Coordinates

The G25 coordinates for the sample RISE371 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.

RISE371,0.1300581,0.13738168,0.062681,0.04233572,0.0427767,0.02011516,0.004157,0.00705402,0.01300292,0.00811168,-0.0054407,0.00559028,-0.00843196,-0.00233536,0.01601708,0.00402732,-0.01264976,0.00402936,0.00061502,0.0022354,0.00379872,0.00038622,0.0021184,0.00245346,0.00367635
Analyze it in G25 Studio
Scientific Papers References
Population genomics of Bronze Age Eurasia
Authors:
Allentoft ME, Sikora M, Sjögren KG
Abstract:

The Bronze Age of Eurasia (around 3000-1000 BC) was a period of major cultural changes. However, there is debate about whether these changes resulted from the circulation of ideas or from human migrations, potentially also facilitating the spread of languages and certain phenotypic traits. We investigated this by using new, improved methods to sequence low-coverage genomes from 101 ancient humans from across Eurasia. We show that the Bronze Age was a highly dynamic period involving large-scale population migrations and replacements, responsible for shaping major parts of present-day demographic structure in both Europe and Asia. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesized spread of Indo-European languages during the Early Bronze Age. We also demonstrate that light skin pigmentation in Europeans was already present at high frequency in the Bronze Age, but not lactose tolerance, indicating a more recent onset of positive selection on lactose tolerance than previously thought.

Link:
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