Researchers studying a mass grave in York believed to contain Roman gladiators have found that its inhabitants travelled further than expected.
They found that six of the individuals - presumably indigenous Britons - were similar to the modern Welsh, but different from populations living in Yorkshire today.
However, one of the individuals had genetic affinities with people from North Africa and the Middle East, providing evidence of long-scale migration in Roman times.
The mystery of the headless gladiators of York: DNA analysis of decapitated remains sheds new light on Roman migrations
Researchers analysed genomes of nine individuals from Roman-era York
Six of the individuals were similar to the modern Welsh
One had genetic affinities with people from North Africa and Middle East
By Mark Prigg For Dailymail.com
19 January 2016
Daily Mail
Researchers studying a mass grave in York believed to contain Roman gladiators have found that its inhabitants travelled further than expected.
They found that six of the individuals - presumably indigenous Britons - were similar to the modern Welsh, but different from populations living in Yorkshire today.
However, one of the individuals had genetic affinities with people from North Africa and the Middle East, providing evidence of long-scale migration in Roman times.
The Roman-age skeletons from Driffield Terrace laid out in York's Guildhall.
Prof Dan Bradley from Trinity College Dublin and colleagues analysed the genomes of nine individuals from Roman-era York.
Archaeologists have speculated that the skeletons belonged to gladiators, although they could also have been soldiers or criminals.
Several suffered perimortem (at or near the time of death) decapitation and were all of a similar age – under 45 years old.
Their skulls were buried with the body, although not positioned consistently – some were on the chest, some within the legs, and others at the feet.
Although examining the skeletons revealed much about the life they lived – including childhood deprivation and injuries consistent with battle trauma – it was not until pioneering genomic analysis by a team from Trinity College Dublin that archaeologists could start to piece together the origins of the men.
From the skeletons of more than 80 individuals, Dr Gundula Muldner of the University of Reading, Dr Janet Montgomery of the University of Durham and Malin Holst and Anwen Caffel of York Osteoarchaeology selected seven for whole genome analyses.
'Archaeology and osteoarchaeology can tell us a certain amount about the skeletons, but this new genomic and isotopic research cannot only tell us about the body we see, but about its origins, and that is a huge step forward in understanding populations, migration patterns and how people moved around the ancient world,' said Christine McDonnell, Head of Curatorial and Archive Services for York Archaeological Trust.
'This hugely exciting, pioneering work will become the new standard for understanding the origins of skeletons in the future, and as the field grows, and costs of undertaking this kind of investigation fall, we'll may able to refine our knowledge of exactly where the bodies were born to a much smaller region.
The skull of one of the Roman-age skeletons discovered at Driffield Terrace in York.
Second century: Remains of the Roman ampitheatre of Verulamium, which was built circa AD140, near modern St Albans in Hertfordshire, around 180 miles from York. Verulamium was the third largest city in the Roman province of Britannia and gladiatorial contests would have taken place within the ampitheatre
The Roman skeletons sampled were all male, under 45 years old and most had evidence of decapitation.
They were taller than average for Roman Britain and displayed evidence of significant trauma potentially related to interpersonal violence.
All but one would have had brown eyes and black or brown hair but one had distinctive blue eyes and blond hair similar to the single Anglo Saxon individual.
The demographic profile of the York skeletons resembles the population structure in a Roman burial ground believed to be for gladiators at Ephesus.
But the evidence could also fit with a military context - the Roman army had a minimum recruitment height and fallen soldiers would match the age profile of the York cemetery.
This first genomic analysis of ancient Britons was performed in Trinity College Dublin.
Professor Dan Bradley of the Molecular Population Genetics Laboratory said: 'Whichever the identity of the enigmatic headless Romans from York, our sample of the genomes of seven of them, when combined with isotopic evidence, indicate six to be of British origin and one to have origins in the Middle East.
'It confirms the cosmopolitan character of the Roman Empire even at its most northerly extent.'
Rui Martiniano, who undertook the analysis, said: 'This is the first refined genomic evidence for farreaching ancient mobility and also the first snapshot of British genomes in the early centuries AD, indicating continuity with an Iron Age sample before the migrations of the Anglo-Saxon period.'
Professor Matthew Collins, of the BioArCh research facility in the Department of Archaeology at York, who co-ordinated the report on the research, said: 'These genomes give the first snapshot of British genomes in the early centuries AD, showing continuity with the earlier Iron Age and evidence of migrations in the Anglo-Saxon period.”
WHO WHERE THEY?
The Roman skeletons sampled were all male, under 45 years old and most had evidence of decapitation.
They were taller than average for Roman Britain and displayed evidence of significant trauma potentially related to interpersonal violence.
All but one would have had brown eyes and black or brown hair but one had distinctive blue eyes and blond hair similar to the single AngloSaxon individual.
The demographic profile of the York skeletons resembles the population structure in a Roman burial ground believed to be for gladiators at Ephesus.
But the evidence could also fit with a military context - the Roman army had a minimum recruitment height and fallen soldiers would match the age profile of the York cemetery.
THE GLADIATOR'S CEMETERY
From 2004-5 researchers excavated eighty burials at Driffield Terrace in York.
This site was part of a large cemetery on the outskirts of the Roman town of Eboracum, across the river from the legionary fortress.
The burials displayed evidence that so intrigued the archaeologists that further investigation was needed.
The male skeletons displayed deliberate trauma, interesting pathology and peri-mortem decapitation.
Many of the skeletons showed signs of healed injuries.
One had even been bitten by a large predator, perhaps a lion or bear.
Strangest of all, about half were decapitated at or just after death and buried with their detached heads.
They found that six of the individuals - presumably indigenous Britons - were similar to the modern Welsh, but different from populations living in Yorkshire today.
However, one of the individuals had genetic affinities with people from North Africa and the Middle East, providing evidence of long-scale migration in Roman times.
The mystery of the headless gladiators of York: DNA analysis of decapitated remains sheds new light on Roman migrations
Researchers analysed genomes of nine individuals from Roman-era York
Six of the individuals were similar to the modern Welsh
One had genetic affinities with people from North Africa and Middle East
By Mark Prigg For Dailymail.com
19 January 2016
Daily Mail
Researchers studying a mass grave in York believed to contain Roman gladiators have found that its inhabitants travelled further than expected.
They found that six of the individuals - presumably indigenous Britons - were similar to the modern Welsh, but different from populations living in Yorkshire today.
However, one of the individuals had genetic affinities with people from North Africa and the Middle East, providing evidence of long-scale migration in Roman times.
The Roman-age skeletons from Driffield Terrace laid out in York's Guildhall.
Prof Dan Bradley from Trinity College Dublin and colleagues analysed the genomes of nine individuals from Roman-era York.
Archaeologists have speculated that the skeletons belonged to gladiators, although they could also have been soldiers or criminals.
Several suffered perimortem (at or near the time of death) decapitation and were all of a similar age – under 45 years old.
Their skulls were buried with the body, although not positioned consistently – some were on the chest, some within the legs, and others at the feet.
Although examining the skeletons revealed much about the life they lived – including childhood deprivation and injuries consistent with battle trauma – it was not until pioneering genomic analysis by a team from Trinity College Dublin that archaeologists could start to piece together the origins of the men.
From the skeletons of more than 80 individuals, Dr Gundula Muldner of the University of Reading, Dr Janet Montgomery of the University of Durham and Malin Holst and Anwen Caffel of York Osteoarchaeology selected seven for whole genome analyses.
'Archaeology and osteoarchaeology can tell us a certain amount about the skeletons, but this new genomic and isotopic research cannot only tell us about the body we see, but about its origins, and that is a huge step forward in understanding populations, migration patterns and how people moved around the ancient world,' said Christine McDonnell, Head of Curatorial and Archive Services for York Archaeological Trust.
'This hugely exciting, pioneering work will become the new standard for understanding the origins of skeletons in the future, and as the field grows, and costs of undertaking this kind of investigation fall, we'll may able to refine our knowledge of exactly where the bodies were born to a much smaller region.
The skull of one of the Roman-age skeletons discovered at Driffield Terrace in York.
Second century: Remains of the Roman ampitheatre of Verulamium, which was built circa AD140, near modern St Albans in Hertfordshire, around 180 miles from York. Verulamium was the third largest city in the Roman province of Britannia and gladiatorial contests would have taken place within the ampitheatre
The Roman skeletons sampled were all male, under 45 years old and most had evidence of decapitation.
They were taller than average for Roman Britain and displayed evidence of significant trauma potentially related to interpersonal violence.
All but one would have had brown eyes and black or brown hair but one had distinctive blue eyes and blond hair similar to the single Anglo Saxon individual.
The demographic profile of the York skeletons resembles the population structure in a Roman burial ground believed to be for gladiators at Ephesus.
But the evidence could also fit with a military context - the Roman army had a minimum recruitment height and fallen soldiers would match the age profile of the York cemetery.
This first genomic analysis of ancient Britons was performed in Trinity College Dublin.
Professor Dan Bradley of the Molecular Population Genetics Laboratory said: 'Whichever the identity of the enigmatic headless Romans from York, our sample of the genomes of seven of them, when combined with isotopic evidence, indicate six to be of British origin and one to have origins in the Middle East.
'It confirms the cosmopolitan character of the Roman Empire even at its most northerly extent.'
Rui Martiniano, who undertook the analysis, said: 'This is the first refined genomic evidence for farreaching ancient mobility and also the first snapshot of British genomes in the early centuries AD, indicating continuity with an Iron Age sample before the migrations of the Anglo-Saxon period.'
Professor Matthew Collins, of the BioArCh research facility in the Department of Archaeology at York, who co-ordinated the report on the research, said: 'These genomes give the first snapshot of British genomes in the early centuries AD, showing continuity with the earlier Iron Age and evidence of migrations in the Anglo-Saxon period.”
WHO WHERE THEY?
The Roman skeletons sampled were all male, under 45 years old and most had evidence of decapitation.
They were taller than average for Roman Britain and displayed evidence of significant trauma potentially related to interpersonal violence.
All but one would have had brown eyes and black or brown hair but one had distinctive blue eyes and blond hair similar to the single AngloSaxon individual.
The demographic profile of the York skeletons resembles the population structure in a Roman burial ground believed to be for gladiators at Ephesus.
But the evidence could also fit with a military context - the Roman army had a minimum recruitment height and fallen soldiers would match the age profile of the York cemetery.
THE GLADIATOR'S CEMETERY
From 2004-5 researchers excavated eighty burials at Driffield Terrace in York.
This site was part of a large cemetery on the outskirts of the Roman town of Eboracum, across the river from the legionary fortress.
The burials displayed evidence that so intrigued the archaeologists that further investigation was needed.
The male skeletons displayed deliberate trauma, interesting pathology and peri-mortem decapitation.
Many of the skeletons showed signs of healed injuries.
One had even been bitten by a large predator, perhaps a lion or bear.
Strangest of all, about half were decapitated at or just after death and buried with their detached heads.
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