Longobards Ancient DNA from Pannonia and Italy – What Does Their DNA Tell Us? Are You Related?

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The Longobards, Lombards, also known as the Long-beards – who were they? Where did they come from? And when?

Perhaps more important – are you related to these ancient people?

In the paper, Understanding 6th-century barbarian social organizatoin and migration through paleogenomics, by Amorim et al, the authors tell us in the abstract:

Despite centuries of research, much about the barbarian migrations that took place between the fourth and sixth centuries in Europe remains hotly debated. To better understand this key era that marks the dawn of modern European societies, we obtained ancient genomic DNA from 63 samples from two cemeteries (from Hungary and Northern Italy) that have been previously associated with the Longobards, a barbarian people that ruled large parts of Italy for over 200 years after invading from Pannonia in 568 CE. Our dense cemetery-based sampling revealed that each cemetery was primarily organized around one large pedigree, suggesting that biological relationships played an important role in these early medieval societies. Moreover, we identified genetic structure in each cemetery involving at least two groups with different ancestry that were very distinct in terms of their funerary customs. Finally, our data are consistent with the proposed long-distance migration from Pannonia to Northern Italy.

Both the Germans and French have descriptions of this time of upheaval in their history. Völkerwanderung in German and Les invasions barbares in French refer to the various waves of invasions by Goths, Franks, Anglo-Saxons, Vandals, and Huns. All of these groups left a genetic imprint, a story told without admixture by their Y and mitochondrial DNA.

click to enlarge

The authors provide this map of Pannonia, the Longobards kingdom, and the two cemeteries with burial locations.

One of their findings is that the burials are organized around biological kinship. Perhaps they weren’t so terribly different from us today.

Much as genealogists do, the authors created a pedigree chart – the only difference being that their chart is genetically constructed and lacks names, other than sample ID.

One man is buried with a horse, and one of his relatives, a female, is not buried in a family unit but in a half-ring of female graves.

The data suggests that the cemetery in Pannonia, Szolad, shown in burgundy on the map, may have been a “single-generation” cemetery, in use for only a limited time as the migration continued westward. Collegno, in contrast, seems to have been used for multiple generations, with the burials radiating outward over time from the progenitor individual.

Because the entire cemetery was analyzed, it’s possible to identify those individuals with northern or northeastern European ancestry, east of the Rhine and north of the Danube, and to differentiate from southern European ancestry in the Lombard cemetery – in addition to reassembling their family pedigrees. The story is told, not just by one individual’s DNA, but how the group is related to each other, and their individual and group origins.

For anyone with roots in Germany, Hungary, or the eastern portion of Europe, you know that this region has been embroiled in upheaval and warfare seemingly as long as there have been people to fight over who lived in and controlled these lands.

Are You Related?

Goran Runfeldt’s R&D group at Family Tree DNA reanalyzed the Y DNA samples from this paper and has been kind enough to provide a summary of the results. Michael Sager has utilized them to branch the Y DNA tree – in a dozen places.

Mitochondrial DNA haplogroups have been included where available from the authors, but have not been reanalyzed.

Note the comments added by FTDNA during analysis.

Many new branches were formed. I included step-by-step instructions, here, so you can see if your Y DNA results match either the new branch or any of these samples upstream.

If you’re a male and you haven’t yet tested your Y DNA or you would like to upgrade to the Big Y-700 to obtain your most detailed haplogroup, you can do either by clicking here. My husband’s family is from Hungary and I just upgraded his Y DNA test to the Big Y-700. I want to know where his ancestors came from.

And yes, this first sample really is rare haplogroup T. Each sample is linked to the Family Tree DNA public tree. We find haplogroups G and E as well as the more common R and I. Some ancient samples match contemporary testers from France (2), the UK, England, Morocco, Denmark (5), and Italy. Fascinating!

Sample: CL23
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: T-BY45363
mtDNA: H

Sample: CL30
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-P312
mtDNA: I1b

Sample: CL31
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: G-FGC693
FTDNA Comment: Authors warn of possible contamination. Y chromosome looks good – and there is support for splitting this branch. However, because of the contamination warning – we will not act on this split until more data is available.
mtDNA: H18

Sample: CL38
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: E-BY3880
mtDNA: X2

Sample: CL49
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-CTS6889

Sample: CL53
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-FGC24138
mtDNA: H11a

Sample: CL57
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-BY48364
mtDNA: H24a

Sample: CL63
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-FT104588
mtDNA: H

Sample: CL84
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-U198
mtDNA: H1t

Sample: CL92
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-S22519
mtDNA: H

Sample: CL93
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-S22519
mtDNA: J2b1a

Sample: CL94
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-DF99
mtDNA: K1c1

Sample: CL97
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-L23

Sample: CL110
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-L754

Sample: CL121
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-BY70163
FTDNA Comment: Shares 2 SNPs with a man from France. Forms a new branch down of R-BY70163 (Z2103). New branch = R-BY197053
mtDNA: T2b

Sample: CL145
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-S22519
mtDNA: T2b

Sample: CL146
Location: Collegno, Piedmont, Italy
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-A8472
mtDNA: T2b3

Sample: SZ1
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Study Information: The skeletal remains from an individual dating to the Bronze Age 10 m north of the cemetery.
Age: Bronze Age
Y-DNA: R-Y20746
mtDNA: J1b

Sample: SZ2
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-Z338
FTDNA Comment: Shares 5 SNPs with a man from the UK. Forms a new branch down of R-Z338 (U106). New branch = R-BY176786
mtDNA: T1a1

Sample: SZ3
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-BY3605
mtDNA: H18

Sample: SZ4
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-ZP200
FTDNA Comment: Splits R-ZP200 (U106). Derived (positive) for 2 SNPs and ancestral (negative) for 19 SNPs. New path = R-Y98441>R-ZP200
mtDNA: H1c9

Sample: SZ5
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-BY3194
FTDNA Comment: Splits R-BY3194 (DF27). Derived for 19 SNPs, ancestral for 9 SNPs. New path = R-BY3195>R-BY3194
mtDNA: J2b1

Sample: SZ6
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-P214

Sample: SZ7
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-S8104
FTDNA Comment: SZ13, SZ7 and SZ12 share 2 SNPs with a man from Denmark, forming a branch down of I-S8104 (M223). New branch = I-FT45324. Note that SZ22 and SZ24 (and even SZ14) fall on the same path to I-S8104 but lack coverage for intermediate branches.
mtDNA: T2e

Sample: SZ11
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-FGC13492
FTDNA Comment: Shares 1 SNP with a man from Italy. Forms a new branch down of R-FGC13492 (U106). New branch = R-BY138397
mtDNA: K2a3a

Sample: SZ12
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-S8104
FTDNA Comment: SZ13, SZ7 and SZ12 share 2 SNPs with a man from Denmark, forming a branch down of I-S8104 (M223). New branch = I-FT45324. Note that SZ22 and SZ24 (and even SZ14) fall on the same path to I-S8104 but lack coverage for intermediate branches.
mtDNA: W6

Sample: SZ13
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century 422-541 cal CE
Y-DNA: I-S8104
FTDNA Comment: SZ13, SZ7 and SZ12 share 2 SNPs with a man from Denmark, forming a branch down of I-S8104 (M223). New branch = I-FT45324. Note that SZ22 and SZ24 (and even SZ14) fall on the same path to I-S8104 but lack coverage for intermediate branches.
mtDNA: N1b1b1

Sample: SZ14
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-CTS616
FTDNA Comment: SZ13, SZ7 and SZ12 share 2 SNPs with a man from Denmark, forming a branch down of I-S8104 (M223). New branch = I-FT45324. Note that SZ22 and SZ24 (and even SZ14) fall on the same path to I-S8104 but lack coverage for intermediate branches.
mtDNA: I3

Sample: SZ15
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-YP986
mtDNA: H1c1

Sample: SZ16
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-U106
mtDNA: U4b1b

Sample: SZ18
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: E-BY6865
FTDNA Comment: Shares 1 SNP with a man from Morocco. Forms a new branch down of E-BY6865. New branch = E-FT198679
mtDNA: H13a1a2

Sample: SZ22
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-Y6876
FTDNA Comment: SZ13, SZ7 and SZ12 share 2 SNPs with a man from Denmark, forming a branch down of I-S8104 (M223). New branch = I-FT45324. Note that SZ22 and SZ24 (and even SZ14) fall on the same path to I-S8104 but lack coverage for intermediate branches.
mtDNA: N1b1b1

Sample: SZ23
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-S10271
mtDNA: H13a1a2

Sample: SZ24
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-ZS3
FTDNA Comment: SZ13, SZ7 and SZ12 share 2 SNPs with a man from Denmark, forming a branch down of I-S8104 (M223). New branch = I-FT45324. Note that SZ22 and SZ24 (and even SZ14) fall on the same path to I-S8104 but lack coverage for intermediate branches.
mtDNA: U4b

Sample: SZ27B
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century 412-538 cal CE
Y-DNA: R-FGC4166
FTDNA Comment: Shares 1 SNP with a man from France. Forms a new branch down of R-FGC4166 (U152). New branch = R-FT190624
mtDNA: N1a1a1a1

Sample: SZ36
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: T-Y15712
mtDNA: U4c2a

Sample: SZ37
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century 430-577 cal CE
Y-DNA: R-P312
mtDNA: H66a

Sample: SZ42
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: R-P312
mtDNA: K2a6

Sample: SZ43
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Age: Longobard 6th Century 435-604 cal CE
Y-DNA: I-BY138
mtDNA: H1e

Sample: SZ45
Location: Szólád, Somogy County, Hungary
Study Information: ADMIXTURE analysis showed SZ45 to possess a unique ancestry profile.
Age: Longobard 6th Century
Y-DNA: I-FGC21819
FTDNA Comment: Shares 2 SNPs with a man from England forms a new branch down of FGC21819. New branch = I-FGC21810
mtDNA: J1c

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15 thoughts on “Longobards Ancient DNA from Pannonia and Italy – What Does Their DNA Tell Us? Are You Related?”

  1. Wow. My MTDNA is the fairly scarce H18. I have traced my maternal line to pre-revolutionary war North Carolina (probable British Isles heritage).I haven’t come across many ancient H18 samples out there in the literature. I see there is an H18 in each gravesite location. Very interesting. I had read there are clusters in modern northern Italy as well as Bulgaria. I’ll have to look for more details on the sequencing to see how closely I match.

    Reply ↓

    • There are quite a lot of Scandinavian names/locations on my full sequence MTDNA match list in H18. Most at genetic distance of 2-3. A few Spain/Portugal, Italy, France. My zero distance matches have American or British isles names/locations. I suspect my two extra mutations arose there and we may be classed as a subgroup at some point, 30 of us at last count in the FTDNA database. H18 was also found in a study of medieval Black Death cemetery samples comparing London and Denmark, much later time frame, Klunk et al. I found these by looking at my subgroup on IanLogan’s Mtdna website.

      Reply ↓

  2. Fascinating article, thanks. I note that SZ13 was the man with the horse and with the deepest grave, with others circled around him, probably signifying high status, and that he shared 2 SNPs with a man from Denmark. This would make sense, as historians believe the Langobards were originally from southern Scandinavia, as were many other “barbarian” groups. This notwithstanding the genetic diversity of those buried in Pannonia.

    From the article’s conclusion: “Even amongst the two family groups of primarily central/northern ancestry there is clear evidence of admixture with individuals with more southern ancestry. Whether these people identified as Longobard or any other particular barbarian people is therefore impossible to assess. If we are seeing evidence of movements of barbarians, there is no evidence that these were genetically homogenous groups of people.”

    It seems apparent that those buried at the cemeteries intermixed with others along their route south, particularly regarding the buried females who show much more genetic diversity. Again, this pattern is typical of migrating elites. I would guess that as with SZ13, the I haplogroup better represents Scandinavian origin while those with R haplogroup, such as SZ2, were those who joined along the way. SZ2’s R-U-106 haplogroup, for example, has a high concentration toady in Germany.

    Next I’d love to see aDNA from Galicia in Spain. Thanks again Roberta.

    Reply ↓

  3. It looks like CL63 might even potentially be a grandfather of me. I am too I-FT104588 and at the time that CL63 lived that might have been a terminal haplogroup. According to YFull-Dating is certainly possible that my own terminal I-A16216 did not even exist when CL63 was alive. One way or another CL63 is a very, very close relative of mine in terms of YDNA. My present branch seems to have a connection with Slovenia, so there is not too much physical distance either.

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  4. Fascinating! I was pleased to see CL38’s Mt = X2. I am Mt X2d1a and I have been able to trace my mother’s line back to Lucca, Italy in the mid 1800’s. To date I have had only one close match outside my immediate family members (GD -2) and that match states that their maternal line is Italian, but they have not been able to trace their line back beyond their parents. I will be interested to see what more can be found. THanks for sharing this Roberta.

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  5. I was more lucky with the Vikings the other day, this I don’t see my mt haplogroup, nor my paternal grand-mother’s. The closest I get for my own is H and the closest for my grand-mother is K1, that’s many millennia ago. Well, maybe I’ll be more lucky next time.

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  6. This database is focused on ancient mtDNA up to Iron Age, Eurasian geographical area. I found the samples from the above Longobard study in it, as well another H18b in Germany from around the same time period. (The custom of skull deformation in females was the subject in that one).

    It is simple to search for your haplotype or just rank the the whole database by haplogroup and scroll through. Links to papers, downloads to metadata. I tried to download a few fasta files, but I didn’t know how to open the .fa format. I had no problem downloading .fasta files from Genbank and opening them in Haplogrep (in their suggested tools). https://amtdb.org/

    Reply ↓

  7. Sample CL121 from Collegno, Piedmont, Italy is a Y-DNA match. My Y-DNA was R-BY70163 and now I formed a new branch, R-BY197053.
    In the sample FTDNA Comments 2 SNP’s with a man from France is my paternal 7th Great Grandfather Francois Circe b. Abt. 1630 from Paris, France.

    I just found out last night when I looked at my FTDNA profile and saw my YDNA changed from BY70163 to BY197053. It’s been about two years since I took the BIG Y500 and recently took the Big Y700 to try to find a match.

    I’m the only Circe or St Michel that has taken a Big Y test. It’s Fascinating seeing your YDNA as a Longobard – Lombard from Italy during the 6th Century. I’m now trying too find and learn as much as possible about CL121.

    Reply ↓

    • this is very interesting that it worked out to a true ancestor. I match 9 graves. Most especially CL63 (the lone frenchman)… but my closest genetic distance is 5.7 to CL57. I am guessing it has something to do with my username.. it is a surname. I await my Y-test now.. I hope to add to revealing accurate history.

      Reply ↓

      • Hi dulong73, It’s crazy. I Just recently received an email from FTDNA and I’m a match to Sardinia 1031. On YFull Sardinia 1031 is named ERS256993, from Caglian, Sardinia. We shared my Novel SNP R-BY197776. I’m trying to put all this together. My surname goes back to my 7th Great-Grandfather Francois Circe in Paris France. We always said Circe wasn’t French. With these two Y-DNA matches, we know believe Circe originated from the ancient village of Circeii (now San Felice Circeo, Italy), which is located directly across from Sardinia on the Italian Coast.

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  8. Pingback: Genetic Genealogy at 20 Years: Where Have We Been, Where Are We Going and What’s Important? | DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy

  9. amazing stuff. I match 9 graves. CL63 is my biggest dna match (“96% closer than all other users”, CL57 is my closest genetic distance (5.7). I am awaiting Y-dna results, hope to help reveal accurate history. I am guessing my username is a clue.

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  10. Thank you, I have been looking for my people for I am a n1b1b1* and my people mainly came from Wattenberg Germany and the surrounding area the names I have are Schumann and Hoffman and steppler and have had problems finding anything because I am not Jew nor is my family any info is appreciated and I am on three email is appreciated medusalive.mk@gmail.com Tyree number is yf83135

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  11. Out or 250,000 testers at FTDNA I am one of 33 Big Y I-M223 testers that Match Szlodad 43. My Terminal Clade is FT149019. I also closely Match 5 Much Older Remains found at Tollense Valley (Mecklenburg Germany) : Weltzin15, Weltzin 51, Weltzin39, Weltzin71 and Weltzin 64.

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  12. I get a biggish chunk of Longobard/North Italy DNA and have been linked to several Collegno samples. I am English but North West and very little of my DNA is linked to Anglo Saxons as in Angle and Saxon although it may come under the umbrella of ‘Anglo Saxon’ as a title because some could be Migration Era. It’s a constant journey of discovery and quite fascinating with twists and turns along the way.

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