Paleogenetic analysis of the Eneolithic (4900 – 2750 calBC) Trypillian Culture from Verteba Cave, Ukraine

Summary

In this presentation, we make use of high-resolution paleogenetic data to better understand the peoples of the agropastoral Tripolye Culture. Verteba Cave is the only known site with associated Trypillian human remains. Here, we explore population origins and the Tripolye people’s relationship with local populations from the greater Carpathian and Dnieper regions, as well as possible connections to peoples from the Near East. Our motivation for this study derives from several unknowns. Specifically, archaeological evidence suggests Tripolye origins stem from the interaction of several Neolithic cultures, while a small number of individuals analyzed using morphometric traits suggest a possible Near Eastern origin. We performed Sanger sequencing of the mtDNA control region and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) for several individuals that allowed us to obtain nuclear genetic data. Our preliminary results indicate maternal lineages that are common to modern Eurasian peoples and our HTS results display variants that are common to peoples of the Near East. Analyses are ongoing with plans to obtain whole mitogenome data through the use of in-solution target capture methods, higher resolution genome-wide SNP variation to detect subtle changes in population size, as well as searching for alleles associated with strong natural selection, such as lactase persistence.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

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