Ancient DNA sheds light on the genetic origins of early Iron Age Philistines.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31281897.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aax0061 and PMC identifier 6609216.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
The ancient Mediterranean port city of Ashkelon, identified as "Philistine" during the Iron Age, underwent a marked cultural change between the Late Bronze and the early Iron Age. It has been long debated whether this change was driven by a substantial movement of people, possibly linked to a larger migration of the so-called "Sea Peoples." Here, we report genome-wide data of 10 Bronze and Iron Age individuals from Ashkelon. We find that the early Iron Age population was genetically distinct due to a European-related admixture. This genetic signal is no longer detectible in the later Iron Age population. Our results support that a migration event occurred during the Bronze to Iron Age transition in Ashkelon but did not leave a long-lasting genetic signature.
Medical subject headings
- DNA, Ancient
- Genetics, Population
- Human Migration
- White People