DNA study reveals origins, migrations and genetic heritage of ‘forgotten’ Sarmatians

In a recent study, Dr. Oszkár Schütz and colleagues analyzed 156 ancient genomes from the Sarmatian period, spanning the 1st to 5th centuries CE. The aim of the study was to clarify the origins and genetic relationships of the Carpathian Basin (CB) Sarmatians and explore their connections with other Eurasian steppe populations and local groups.

The work is published in the journal Cell.

The Sarmatians were a group of nomadic peoples who probably originated in the southern Ural region, present-day Russia, between the 4th and 2nd centuries BCE. From there they spread across the Pontic steppe into the regions surrounding the Don, Volga and northern Caucasus, into Romania until they reached the lower Danube and the Carpathian Basin in the 1st century CE.

They expanded to occupy the entire great Hungarian plain. The Sarmatians became a formidable enemy of the Romans and formed various alliances with Germanic tribes, including the Marcomanni, Vandals and Quadi. Some believe they may also have inspired the knights of the King Arthur legend.

However, today the Sarmatians are largely a “forgotten people” whom no modern nation claims as ancestors.

Dr. Schütz gives possible explanations for the Sarmatians becoming a forgotten people: “Based solely on historical sources, written mainly by Roman authors, we could imagine the Sarmatians as a kind of cultural or ethnic conglomerate. However, this may not have been the case, as historians of the period were often prone to generalizations and frequently projected their own cultural biases when describing certain peoples.

“It is possible that the Sarmatians were not politically unified and therefore did not form the kind of cohesive entity capable of exerting lasting cultural influence over the regions they occupied.”

Furthermore, Dr. Schütz continues: “Their cultural heritage was certainly eclipsed by the arrival of the Huns, who reached the western steppe in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries and took control of territories formerly held by the Sarmatians. Under Hunnic rule, the political and cultural landscape of the region changed significantly, likely further shaping subsequent perceptions of the Sarmatians.

Using 156 samples taken from populations spread across the Great Hungarian Plains and the Romanian Plains, as well as genomes sampled between the 4th and 5th centuries, the researchers were able to assess potential genetic admixture, reconstructing demographic patterns, family practices and biological relationships between groups previously linked only by cultural similarities or historical narratives.

The study found that the Sarmatians of the Carpathian Basin were descended from the steppe Sarmatians native to the Urals and Kazakhstan regions, with the Romanian Sarmatians serving as a genetic bridge between the two groups. Additionally, the steppe Sarmatian genetic component was found to gradually decrease over time.

This pattern suggests a founder effect, in which the Sarmatian population arose from a single migration. This migration was male-led, as indicated by a sudden influx and rapid spread of the Y chromosome haplogroup R1a. Conversely, maternal genetics indicated a predominantly local European ancestry.

This suggests that Sarmatian male warriors likely migrated westward into Europe, where they married local European women and passed on their distinctive paternal genetic signature. It is interesting to note that the early Sarmatian cemeteries, however, have a predominance of female burials.

Furthermore, the researchers confirmed two simultaneous but distinct waves of migration, previously hypothesized based on burial practices and material culture, namely a migration to northwest Europe and a migration to the eastern steppes.

Meanwhile, in the late period (4th century CE), migration to the region from the Roman provinces occurred, which contributed to a genetically mixed ancestry that would later form the basis of the medieval Hungarian population.

Despite a smaller influx of individuals of Asian origin during the Hunnic period, often considered to have resulted in population replacement, there was notable continuity of the Sarmatian population into the Hun era. According to written sources, the Sarmatians maintained an independent political organization until around 470 CE, only assimilating into the kingdom of Gepidus after the fall of the Hun Empire.

“In this work, we mainly focused on identifying the precise nature of the connections between the Carpathian Basin and the steppe-based Sarmatian groups,” explains Dr. Schütz.

“However, one of the most crucial questions that remains unanswered concerns the identity of the local populations. As our data have shown, the steppe ancestry of the Sarmatians declined rapidly after their westward migration. Yet we still lack a clear genetic picture of the local groups that mixed with the Sarmatians and contributed to this reduction in their steppe ancestry.”

“Historical sources indicate that Celtic and Germanic groups, as well as the Dacians (probably a branch of the ancient Thracians), inhabited the Carpathian basin at the time. However, genetic data from these groups remains scarce, preventing us from reconstructing the genetic landscape of the region before the arrival of the Sarmatians,” explains Dr. Schütz.

“Another important direction for future research should concern the territories occupied by the Romans, which could provide valuable information on interactions across the Roman limes. Fortunately, this line of research is already underway.”

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