mtDNA analysis of human remains from an early Danish Christian cemetery

Lars Rudbeck; M Thomas P Gilbert; Eske Willerslev; Anders J Hansen; Niels Lynnerup; Tom Christensen; Jørgen Dissing

doi:10.1002/ajpa.20294

mtDNA analysis of human remains from an early Danish Christian cemetery

Lars Rudbeck, M Thomas P Gilbert, Eske Willerslev, Anders J Hansen, Niels Lynnerup, Tom Christensen, Jørgen Dissing

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

33 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

Udgivelsesdato: 2005-Oct

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Vol/bind	128
Udgave nummer	2
Sider (fra-til)	424-9
Antal sider	6
ISSN	0002-9483
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20294
Status	Udgivet - 2005

Bibliografisk note

Keywords: Age Determination by Skeleton; Christianity; DNA, Mitochondrial; Denmark; Female; Genetics, Population; Haplotypes; History, Medieval; Humans; Male; Mortuary Practice; Sex Determination (Analysis); Tooth

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1002/ajpa.20294

Citationsformater

@article{be378ac09e4411df928f000ea68e967b,

title = "mtDNA analysis of human remains from an early Danish Christian cemetery",

abstract = "One of Denmark's earliest Christian cemeteries is Kongemarken, dating to around AD 1000-1250. A feature of early Scandinavian Christian cemeteries is sex segregation, with females buried on the northern sides and males on the southern sides. However, such separation was never complete; in the few early Christian cemeteries excavated in Scandinavia, there were always a few males placed on the north side, and some females on the south side. At Kongemarken, several males with juxtaposed females were found on the north side of the cemetery. Thus, to evaluate possible kinship relationships, and more general questions of population affinity, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA extracted from nine individuals excavated in two different areas within the cemetery: one male and four females from Area 1, and one male and three females from Area 2. Using stringent laboratory protocols, each individual was unequivocally assigned to a mitochondrial haplogroup. A surprising amount of haplogroup diversity was observed (Area 1: 1 U7 (male), 1 H, 1 I, 1 J, and 1 T2; Area 2: 2 H, 1 I, and 1 T, with one H being male); even the three subjects of haplogroup H were of different subtypes. This indicates that no subjects within each area were maternally related. The observed haplogroup, U7, while common in India and in western Siberian tribes, was not previously observed among present-day ethnic Scandinavians, and haplogroup I is rare (2%) in Scandinavia. These observations suggest that the individuals living in the Roskilde region 1,000 years ago were not all members of a tightly knit local population and comprised individuals with genetic links with populations that were from much farther away.",

author = "Lars Rudbeck and Gilbert, {M Thomas P} and Eske Willerslev and Hansen, {Anders J} and Niels Lynnerup and Tom Christensen and J{\o}rgen Dissing",

note = "Keywords: Age Determination by Skeleton; Christianity; DNA, Mitochondrial; Denmark; Female; Genetics, Population; Haplotypes; History, Medieval; Humans; Male; Mortuary Practice; Sex Determination (Analysis); Tooth",

year = "2005",

doi = "10.1002/ajpa.20294",

language = "English",

volume = "128",

pages = "424--9",

journal = "American Journal of Physical Anthropology",

issn = "0002-9483",

publisher = "Wiley",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - mtDNA analysis of human remains from an early Danish Christian cemetery

AU - Rudbeck, Lars

AU - Gilbert, M Thomas P

AU - Willerslev, Eske

AU - Hansen, Anders J

AU - Lynnerup, Niels

AU - Christensen, Tom

AU - Dissing, Jørgen

N1 - Keywords: Age Determination by Skeleton; Christianity; DNA, Mitochondrial; Denmark; Female; Genetics, Population; Haplotypes; History, Medieval; Humans; Male; Mortuary Practice; Sex Determination (Analysis); Tooth

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - One of Denmark's earliest Christian cemeteries is Kongemarken, dating to around AD 1000-1250. A feature of early Scandinavian Christian cemeteries is sex segregation, with females buried on the northern sides and males on the southern sides. However, such separation was never complete; in the few early Christian cemeteries excavated in Scandinavia, there were always a few males placed on the north side, and some females on the south side. At Kongemarken, several males with juxtaposed females were found on the north side of the cemetery. Thus, to evaluate possible kinship relationships, and more general questions of population affinity, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA extracted from nine individuals excavated in two different areas within the cemetery: one male and four females from Area 1, and one male and three females from Area 2. Using stringent laboratory protocols, each individual was unequivocally assigned to a mitochondrial haplogroup. A surprising amount of haplogroup diversity was observed (Area 1: 1 U7 (male), 1 H, 1 I, 1 J, and 1 T2; Area 2: 2 H, 1 I, and 1 T, with one H being male); even the three subjects of haplogroup H were of different subtypes. This indicates that no subjects within each area were maternally related. The observed haplogroup, U7, while common in India and in western Siberian tribes, was not previously observed among present-day ethnic Scandinavians, and haplogroup I is rare (2%) in Scandinavia. These observations suggest that the individuals living in the Roskilde region 1,000 years ago were not all members of a tightly knit local population and comprised individuals with genetic links with populations that were from much farther away.

AB - One of Denmark's earliest Christian cemeteries is Kongemarken, dating to around AD 1000-1250. A feature of early Scandinavian Christian cemeteries is sex segregation, with females buried on the northern sides and males on the southern sides. However, such separation was never complete; in the few early Christian cemeteries excavated in Scandinavia, there were always a few males placed on the north side, and some females on the south side. At Kongemarken, several males with juxtaposed females were found on the north side of the cemetery. Thus, to evaluate possible kinship relationships, and more general questions of population affinity, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA extracted from nine individuals excavated in two different areas within the cemetery: one male and four females from Area 1, and one male and three females from Area 2. Using stringent laboratory protocols, each individual was unequivocally assigned to a mitochondrial haplogroup. A surprising amount of haplogroup diversity was observed (Area 1: 1 U7 (male), 1 H, 1 I, 1 J, and 1 T2; Area 2: 2 H, 1 I, and 1 T, with one H being male); even the three subjects of haplogroup H were of different subtypes. This indicates that no subjects within each area were maternally related. The observed haplogroup, U7, while common in India and in western Siberian tribes, was not previously observed among present-day ethnic Scandinavians, and haplogroup I is rare (2%) in Scandinavia. These observations suggest that the individuals living in the Roskilde region 1,000 years ago were not all members of a tightly knit local population and comprised individuals with genetic links with populations that were from much farther away.

U2 - 10.1002/ajpa.20294

DO - 10.1002/ajpa.20294

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 15838837

SN - 0002-9483

VL - 128

SP - 424

EP - 429

JO - American Journal of Physical Anthropology

JF - American Journal of Physical Anthropology

IS - 2

ER -