A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealing direct links between the Huns and the Xiongnu Empire of ancient Mongolia. The international research team analyzed the genomes of individuals from archaeological sites spanning 800 years, shedding light on the origins and diversity of the populations that inhabited Central Europe during the late 4th to 6th centuries CE.
The Huns, known for their dramatic impact on the political landscape of Europe, have long been the subject of debate regarding their origins. Some historians have speculated that they descended from the earlier Xiongnu Empire due to cultural similarities, such as the practice of skull modification and the use of similar weaponry. The Xiongnu Empire had dissolved around 100 CE, leaving a 300-year gap before the appearance of the Huns in Europe.
The study, part of the multi-year HistoGenes project funded by the European Research Council, included 370 genetic samples from regions stretching from the Mongolian steppes through Central Asia to the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe. Particular attention was given to 35 newly sequenced genomes from Hun-period graves characterized by eastern features often associated with nomadic traditions.
One of the findings was the discovery of genealogical connections between certain individuals from the Hun period in Europe and high-ranking figures of the late Xiongnu Empire. "It was surprising to discover that a few individuals from the Hun period in Europe share identical DNA segments with some members of the late Xiongnu imperial elite," said Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, co-author of the study.
"DNA and archaeological evidence reveal a patchwork of ancestries, pointing to a complex process of mobility and interaction rather than a mass migration," said Zsófia Rácz, co-author of the study. The genetic data indicates that the Hunnic community was diverse, with limited East Asian ancestry outside of certain elite burials.
"Although the Huns dramatically reshaped the political landscape, their actual genetic footprint—outside of certain elite burials—remains limited," explained Zuzana Hofmanová, co-author of the study and a member of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
The research utilized genetic analysis techniques, including identity by descent methods, to identify shared genetic segments among individuals across vast geographical distances and time periods. This approach led to the discovery of several pairs of related individuals spanning from the Mongolian steppes to the Carpathian Basin.
After the arrival of the Huns in Europe in the 370s CE, the population in the Carpathian Basin remained predominantly of European origin, with few large communities of Asian descent detected. The study found that most inhabitants from the 4th to 6th centuries lacked genetic components indicating East or Central Asian ancestry.
The findings suggest that the Huns did not arrive as a homogeneous group but rather as a heterogeneous assemblage that integrated with local populations.
The research provides solid evidence of the direct links between the Huns in Europe, the steppes, and the Xiongnu Empire.
"The Avars came directly to Europe after their East-Asian empire had been destroyed by the Turks, and many of their descendants still carried considerable East Asian ancestry until the end of their rule in c. 800," noted Walter Pohl, co-author of the study and a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. In contrast, the ancestors of the Huns took many generations on their westward journey, mixing with populations across Eurasia.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.