Tracing social mechanisms and interregional connections in Early Bronze Age Societies in Lower Austria
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: In this study, we present the results of archaeogenetic investigations of Early Bronze Age individuals from Lower Austria, specifically associated with the Únětice and Unterwölbling cultural groups. Through analysing newly generated genome-wide data of 129 individuals, we explore the social structure and genetic relationships within and between these communities. Our results reveal a predominantly patrilocal society with non-strict female exogamic practices. Additionally, Identity-by-Descent analysis detects long-distance genetic connections, emphasizing the complex network of interactions in Central Europe during this period. Despite shared social dynamics, notable genetic distinctions emerge between the Únětice and Unterwölbling groups. These insights contribute to our understanding of Bronze Age population interconnections and call for a nuanced interpretation of social dynamics in this historical context.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Anja Furtwängler, Katharina Rebay-Salisbury, Gunnar U. Neumann, Fabian Kanz, Harald Ringbauer, Raffaela Angelina Bianco, Tanja Schmidt, Lena Semerau, Rita Radzevičiūtė, Rodrigo Barquera, Nadin Rohland, Kristin Stewardson, J. Noah Workman, Elizabeth Curtis, Fatma Zalzala, Kim Callan, Lora Iliev, Lijun Qiu, Olivia Cheronet, Anna Wagner, Guillermo Bravo Morante, Michaela Spannagel, Maria Teschler-Nicola, Friederike Novotny, Domnika Verdianu, Ron Pinhasi, David Reich, Johannes Krause, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Alissa Mittnik
Institutions: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Medical University of Vienna, Harvard University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Natural History Museum Vienna, Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, Austrian Archeological Institute, Broad Institute, Max Planck - Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
OpenAlex ID: W7117663686