The origin and composition of the “forgotten people”: Genetic analysis of the Sarmatian-period population of the Carpathian Basin

Schütz, Oszkár (2025) The origin and composition of the “forgotten people”: Genetic analysis of the Sarmatian-period population of the Carpathian Basin. ANTHROPOLOGIAI KÖZLEMÉNYEK, 66. pp. 93-100. ISSN 0003-5440

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Abstract

In summary, we show that the Carpathian Basin Sarmatians descended from Steppe Sarmatians originating in the Ural and Kazakhstan regions, with Romanian Sarmatians serving as a possible genetic bridge between the two groups. However, the steppe-derived ancestry observed in the Carpathian Basin appears significantly diluted, likely due to substantial local admixture or the migration of groups that were already genetically admixed prior to their arrival. We also identify two previously unknown migration waves during the Sarmatian era and a notable continuity of the Sarmatian population into the Hun Period, despite a smaller influx of Asian-origin individuals. Furthermore, we observed a substantial increase in the frequency of the characteristic Central Asian paternal haplogroup R1a-Z93 during the Sarmatian Period in the Carpathian Basin. This shift was not mirrored by a corresponding change in the distribution of maternal lineages, possibly pointing toward a male driven migration. These results shed new light on Sarmatian migrations and the genetic history of a key population neighbouring the Roman Empire.

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