A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, along with international collaborators, conducted an archeogenetic examination of more than 700 human remains dating back to the Early Middle Ages. They fully analyzed two significant burial sites, Mödling and Leobersdorf. The findings were surprising: individuals from Leobersdorf primarily had East Asian ancestry, while those interred in Mödling were mainly of European descent. Remarkably, both communities coexisted side by side for at least six generations.
An interdisciplinary research team uncovered that genetic heritage and cultural identity do not necessarily align. Recent discoveries from the European Research Council’s HistoGenes project stemmed from an extensive genetic analysis of burial sites from the Avar era in the 8th century CE. The Avars, who emigrated from the East Asian Steppes in the 6th century, settled in East Central Europe amid a diverse population.
Despite the rich archaeological findings, many questions lingered. Were the individuals interred in these sites descendants of the Avar invaders or of the earlier population assimilated into Avar society? Or had these groups blended over time, as many speculated? The analysis of two major burial grounds south of Vienna – one with 500 graves in Mödling and another with nearly 150 in Leobersdorf – yielded unexpected insights.
Upon examining the ancient DNA retrieved from the remains at these adjacent sites, researchers were taken aback. While the population of Leobersdorf predominantly had East Asian roots, those buried in Mödling showed a clear European lineage. “The genetic distinction between these communities was pronounced and consistent for most individuals at the sites,” explains Ke Wang, a geneticist and one of the study’s lead authors.
Before genetic testing, no significant differences between the two sites had been noted. The archaeological evidence indicated that both communities shared a similar lifestyle. “Cultural integration clearly occurred despite notable genetic disparities, with these individuals being recognized as Avars,” states Walter Pohl from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, a historian and senior author of the study.
Harmonious coexistence
Historical accounts corroborate anthropological and archaeological findings that this was a notably peaceful period in the Vienna Basin, contrasting with the Avars’ fierce reputation as warriors. “We observe no battle-related injuries on the skeletons and very few indicators of malnutrition,” suggests Doris Pany-Kucera, an anthropologist at the Natural History Museum in Vienna and a lead author of the study. Additionally, weapons were rarely found interred with the deceased.
Thanks to a thoughtful sampling approach and advanced genetic analysis techniques, researchers identified numerous familial connections among the deceased individuals. “The extensive genetic relationships allowed us to reconstruct detailed family trees tracing back six generations at each site,” notes Zuzana Hofmanová from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, contributing as a geneticist and senior lead author of the study.
Generally, individuals were connected to others in their burial sites, yet instances of close kinship between distant relatives were absent. Interestingly, almost none of the mothers had local ancestors, suggesting they hailed from other regions and communities. However, Mödling and Leobersdorf showed little genetic overlap.
Both communities practiced a similar social tradition of selecting partners from specific nearby communities, which helped to maintain their distinct ancestries: the women who bore children in Leobersdorf likely originated from groups with East Asian roots (potentially from the core of the Avar domain), whereas those in Mödling were of European descent. Nonetheless, there was no difference in status or wealth. “Symbols of status, such as belt fittings featuring griffins, as well as their cultural practices and customs, were comparable. It seems both groups identified as Avars,” remarks Bendeguz Tobias, an archaeologist and lead study author.
Extensive studies systematically examining burial sites remain uncommon in the field. “The Mödling burial ground is among the largest ever genetically analyzed, and these findings hold tremendous potential for future research across various disciplines,” states Johannes Krause, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and senior study author.
