Papers Ancient Genomes Reveal East–West Genetic Mixing Along the Eastern Tianshan Corridor Eastern Tianshan: Mountain Gateway Between China and the Steppe Eastern Tianshan: Mountain Gateway Between China and the Steppe The eastern Tianshan mountains emerge from ancient DNA studies as one of the great crossroads of the ancient world. This rugged range in today's Xinjiang sat precisely where three civilizations By Caterina • 8 min read
Papers Ancient DNA Shows Recent Natural Selection Intensified Human Immune Responses and Altered Disease Risks Immune Adaptation and Infectious Disease in the Last 10,000 Years Immune Adaptation and Infectious Disease in the Last 10,000 Years This comprehensive study explores one of the most dramatic stories of recent human history: how people living in West Eurasia, from the first farmers to medieval townsfolk, reshaped By Caterina • 6 min read
Papers Genetic Traces of a 1348 Catalan Pogrom: Medieval Iberian Jews Revealed by Ancient DNA Medieval Iberian Jews and the 1348 Tà rrega Pogrom Medieval Iberian Jews and the 1348 Tà rrega Pogrom In the summer of 1348, as the Black Death raged across Europe, the small Catalan town of Tà rrega saw one of the most violent anti-Jewish attacks in the Crown of Aragon. Chronicles speak of By Caterina • 7 min read
Papers Roman Soldiers on the Move: Praetorium Agrippinae and the Lower Rhine Frontier Roman Military Communities as Socially Mixed Borderland Settlements Roman Military Communities as Socially Mixed Borderland Settlements The archaeological site of Praetorium Agrippinae at modern Valkenburg in South Holland presents a compelling case study of Roman military communities as dynamic, socially mixed borderland settlements. This was not a lonely outpost of By Caterina • 5 min read
Papers Ancient Human DNA from Open-Air Sediments in Japan: Katsuren Castle Ancient Human DNA Without Bones: Stories in the Soil Ancient Human DNA Without Bones: Stories in the Soil Introduction: Overcoming Archaeological Limitations This comprehensive study explores an ingenious workaround for one of archaeology's most fundamental problems: bones do not last forever. In humid, acidic landscapes, skeletons crumble and By Caterina • 8 min read
Papers Late Byzantine Burials and Sacred Memory at St Isidore’s Basilica, Chios Byzantine Monumental Architecture and the Deep Stratigraphy of St Isidore, Chios Byzantine Monumental Architecture and the Deep Stratigraphy of St Isidore, Chios The sacred landscape of the eastern Aegean reveals one of its most compelling stories through the Basilica of St Isidore at Chios, where layers of stone, mosaic, and By Caterina • 7 min read
Papers Genetic Diversity in the Late Iron Age Goths of the Masłomęcz Group Gothic Cosmopolitanism and Long-Range Mobility beyond the Roman Frontier Gothic Cosmopolitanism and Long-Range Mobility beyond the Roman Frontier This comprehensive study transports readers to the eastern fringes of the Roman world, into the Hrubieszów Basin of what is now eastern Poland, where an astonishingly rich Goth-associated community – the Masłomęcz group By Caterina • 6 min read
Papers The Grave that Refused to Die - Neolithic Northern France The Bury Gallery Grave: A Monument That Refused to Stay Still The Bury Gallery Grave: A Monument That Refused to Stay Still Introduction: A Hidden Giant in a Garden The Bury gallery grave in northern France represents far more than a simple stone tomb. This remarkable monument underwent continuous transformation By Caterina • 6 min read
Papers Medieval DNA and Isotope Evidence for the Local Origins of Berlin’s First Townspeople Medieval Berlin: Archaeological and Genetic Evidence from St. Peter's Churchyard Introduction: Uncovering Berlin's Medieval Origins Through Ancient DNA and Archaeological Evidence The origins of Berlin emerge not from dusty chronicles or royal charters, but from thousands of graves discovered beneath the bustling streets of modern central By Caterina • 10 min read
Papers Tracing Leonardo: DNA Signals from da Vinci–Linked Artifacts Biological Signatures on Leonardo-Linked Objects Biological Signatures on Leonardo-Linked Objects: A Comprehensive Analysis of Renaissance DNA This comprehensive study explores how traces of life – from plants and animals to microbes and humans – still cling to Renaissance drawings and centuries-old letters. By taking the gentlest possible swabs from the surfaces of By Caterina • 5 min read
Papers Unravelling Columbus’ Lineage: Forensic SNP Sequencing Identifies 17th–18th-Century Descendants The Hidden Crypt of Columbus' Descendants in Gelves The Hidden Crypt of Columbus' Descendants Beneath the Church Floor: A Sealed Family Pantheon Deep beneath the church of Santa MarĂa de Gracia in Gelves, near Seville, lies a family crypt that for centuries remained sealed by ecclesiastical authority. This By Caterina • 6 min read
Papers DNA reveals 1,500 Years of Chono Population History in Chilean Patagonia By Caterina • 4 min read
Papers Roman Siege Trophy: The Decapitated Cantabrian Defender from La Loma By Caterina • 4 min read
Papers Hanging Coffins, and the Bo People: Tracing a Cliffside Burial Tradition Across Southern China and Southeast Asia By Caterina • 3 min read
Papers Shifting Sands: Population Dynamics during the Muslim-Christian Transition in 11th-13th Century Algarve By Caterina • 3 min read
Papers The Ancient Corinthian Colony Amvrakia and Its Mother City Corinth Archaeogenomics of Ancient Greek Colonies Discovering Ancient Ties through DNA The genetic affinities between ancient Greek colonies and their mother cities provide fascinating insights into the migration patterns and cultural transmissions of ancient civilizations. The study of Amvrakia, a significant Corinthian colony in western Greece, highlights these connections beautifully through By Caterina • 3 min read
Papers Revealing Neanderthal Journeys: Crimeas Starosele The Starosele Site and the Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition The Crimean Peninsula, a region steeped in the distant echoes of our ancient relatives, boasts a treasure trove of Paleolithic sites that are pivotal in understanding the transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic periods. Among these archaeological wonders, By Caterina • 3 min read
Papers Roman Iberia - The Impact of Colonization on Iberian DNA over time (100-800 CE) The Impact of Roman Colonization on Iberia: A Glimpse Through Time A Glimpse Through Time: Intriguing Archaeological Sites Intriguing Archaeological Sites The research takes us deep into the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, analyzing 31 captivating archaeological sites. These sites, which range from urban centers such as the ancient city By Caterina • 4 min read
Papers The Mursa Mass Grave: Roman Military History in Croatia The Mursa Mass Grave: A Window into Roman Military History The Mursa Mass Grave: A Window into Roman Military History During the Crisis of the Third Century The ancient Roman city of Mursa, now known as Osijek in modern-day Croatia, has revealed one of the most compelling archaeological discoveries of By Caterina • 6 min read
Papers Unveiling Kashmirs Genetics: Ancient DNA Reveals Complex Migrations in Neolithic to Medieval Eras The Ancient Chronicles of Burzahom: Unveiling Kashmir's Neolithic Legacy The Ancient Chronicles of Burzahom: Unveiling Kashmir's Neolithic Legacy The Dawn of Discovery Nestled between the majestic Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range, the archaeological site of Burzahom emerges as one of South Asia's most By Caterina • 4 min read
Papers Gravettian Cultural Dynamics: A Journey Through Time Imagine walking through a landscape over 30,000 years ago in what is now Western Europe, and encountering cultures with evocative art and innovative tools. This is the world of the Gravettian period, a time when humans were beginning to express themselves in novel ways and when gene flow was By Caterina • 4 min read
Papers The Epic Journey of Salmonella traced through DNA Incredible Insights from Ancient Archaeological Sites In an exhilarating exploration of our past, the study of Salmonella enterica has uncovered fascinating details about early human societies and their encounters with this pervasive pathogen. Our journey begins over 5,000 years ago, where ancient genomes from a multitude of archaeological sites By Caterina • 3 min read
