Present-day people from England and Wales have more ancestry derived from early European farmers (EEF) than did people of the Early Bronze Age(1). To understand this, here we generated genome-wide... Show morePresent-day people from England and Wales have more ancestry derived from early European farmers (EEF) than did people of the Early Bronze Age(1). To understand this, here we generated genome-wide data from 793 individuals, increasing data from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age in Britain by 12-fold, and western and central Europe by 3.5-fold. Between 1000 and 875 bc, EEF ancestry increased in southern Britain (England and Wales) but not northern Britain (Scotland) due to incorporation of migrants who arrived at this time and over previous centuries, and who were genetically most similar to ancient individuals from France. These migrants contributed about half the ancestry of people of England and Wales from the Iron Age, thereby creating a plausible vector for the spread of early Celtic languages into Britain. These patterns are part of a broader trend of EEF ancestry becoming more similar across central and western Europe in the Middle to the Late Bronze Age, coincident with archaeological evidence of intensified cultural exchange(2-6). There was comparatively less gene flow from continental Europe during the Iron Age, and the independent genetic trajectory in Britain is also reflected in the rise of the allele conferring lactase persistence to approximately 50% by this time compared to approximately 7% in central Europe where it rose rapidly in frequency only a millennium later. This suggests that dairy products were used in qualitatively different ways in Britain and in central Europe over this period. Show less
Patterson, N.; Isakov, M.; Booth, T.; Büster, L.; Fischer, C.; Olalde, I.; ... ; Reich, D. 2021
Present-day people from England and Wales harbour more ancestry derived from Early European Farmers (EEF) than people of the Early Bronze Age1. To understand this, we generated genome-wide data... Show morePresent-day people from England and Wales harbour more ancestry derived from Early European Farmers (EEF) than people of the Early Bronze Age1. To understand this, we generated genome-wide data from 793 individuals, increasing data from the Middle to Late Bronze and Iron Age in Britain by 12-fold, and Western and Central Europe by 3.5-fold. Between 1000 and 875 BC, EEF ancestry increased in southern Britain (England and Wales) but not northern Britain (Scotland) due to incorporation of migrants who arrived at this time and over previous centuries, and who were genetically most similar to ancient individuals from France. These migrants contributed about half the ancestry of Iron Age people of England and Wales, thereby creating a plausible vector for the spread of early Celtic languages into Britain. These patterns are part of a broader trend of EEF ancestry becoming more similar across central and western Europe in the Middle to Late Bronze Age, coincident with archaeological evidence of intensified cultural exchange2-6. There was comparatively less gene flow from continental Europe during the Iron Age, and Britain's independent genetic trajectory is also reflected in the rise of the allele conferring lactase persistence to ~50% by this time compared to ~7% in central Europe where it rose rapidly in frequency only a millennium later. This suggests that dairy products were used in qualitatively different ways in Britain and in central Europe over this period. Show less
The Bronze Age is increasinglycharacterised as a period in which the search for and trade in metals dominatesmobility and exchange in Europe. Chiefs travelled the lands and seas anddominated the... Show moreThe Bronze Age is increasinglycharacterised as a period in which the search for and trade in metals dominatesmobility and exchange in Europe. Chiefs travelled the lands and seas anddominated the acquisition and possession of critical resources. Most researchfocuses on the provenance and distribution of metals and on the mobility ofpeople. Yet, the mobility of one the most obvious sources of social andeconomic wealth in the Bronze Age has got little attention: livestock. Thisstudy explores the possible social role of livestock of cattle and sheep, bothin the household sphere and in the sphere of exchange as a means of ‘connectingpeople’. Here, strontium isotope data is presented from 58 cattle and sheepfrom settlement contexts from Bronze Age West-Frisia (2000-800 BC), theNetherlands, with the aim to gain an isotopic perspective on the socio-economicsignificance of livestock. The data provide evidence for long-distance trade orexchange of livestock. Besides their monetary value, we suggest that livestock,and in particular cattle, may have been perceived as equal to people in termsof labour and production and as members of the household. Their mobility andexchange therefore signal more than just economic trade, it signals a socialpractice. By changing our perspective towards the social ideology of farminglife, we will move closer to understanding Bronze Age societies in more diverseand inclusive ways. Research into livestock mobility is therefore consideredfundamental for a more diverse understanding of Bronze Age farming life. Show less
