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DNA analysis of the Avar empire people, who lived on the Great Hungarian Plain some 1,500 years ago, is revealing details of their social structure, kinship practices, and marriage traditions.
The Avar empire was founded by groups of mounted warriors originating from the Eurasian steppe, who occupied the Carpathian Basin in south-east Central Europe between the mid-6th century and c.AD 800. Originally nomadic, these peoples established settlements not long after arriving in the region, and created large cemeteries to bury their dead. A recent study set out to examine the relationships between the people buried in these cemeteries. The researchers analysed the DNA of 424 individuals, spanning nine generations, from four cemetery sites in modern-day Hungary.
The results reveal that the structure of Avar society resembled that of other Eurasian steppe peoples, with patrilineal descent playing a central role. People from shared lineages were largely buried in the same areas, usually close to their nearest relations. Exogamy was the predominant marriage practice, with women coming from other communities to join their husbands, while the men remained in the groups where they were born. The researchers found no evidence of consanguinity (marriage between close biological relatives), suggesting that lineages were being tracked going back generations. While descent down the male line was clearly at the core of Avar social units, exogamous females probably played an important role, too, in creating wider connections between communities. The data indicates that both men and women often had children with multiple partners. Particularly common is evidence of levirate, a practice in which closely related men have children with the same woman, usually after the death of one of the men.
The DNA analysis also suggests that a realignment of power occurred in the mid-7th century at the largest of the sites studied, involving a shift from one predominant male lineage to another. This change is reflected in the archaeological record as well, with alterations in burial locations and traditions, as well as some changes in diet. Several of the other cemeteries studied were established around the same time, too, so this shift in power may reflect wider changes taking place across the Carpathian Basin.
The study has recently been published in Nature (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07312-4).
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum krt. 4/B, 1088 Budapest, Hungary
