Ancient DNA and the European Neolithic: Relations and Descent

The ancient DNA revolution is providing new insights into population movement, descent patterns, relationships, and identity in archaeology. Studies of the European Neolithic have particularly benefited from this revolution, with evidence for movement and mixture of people at the start and end of the period, as well as new data to inform complex questions of identities and relationships. This volume stems from a conference held in 2021, bringing geneticists and archaeologists together to debate key themes arising from advanced ancient DNA analysis. The papers offer significant syntheses of various manifestations of the Neolithic across the Near East and Europe, reflecting on the progress of ancient DNA studies and their future reach and character.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2022
Publisher: Oxbow Books

The current ancient DNA revolution is providing unparalleled insights into central issues within archaeology, such as population movement, individual identity, descent patterns, relationships, and various aspects of identity at multiple scales and across different types. The impact of recent ancient DNA findings is particularly evident in studies of the European Neolithic, which is the subject of contributions presented in this volume.

We now have new evidence for the movement and mixing of people at the dawn of the Neolithic, as farming spread from the east and ended with the arrival of the first metals, as well as novel styles of pottery and burial practices in the Chalcolithic. In addition, there has been a wealth of new data to inform complex questions of identity and relationships.

The terms of archaeological debate for this period have been permanently altered, leaving us with many issues.

This volume arose from the online day conference of the Neolithic Studies Group held in November 2021, which aimed to bring geneticists and archaeologists together in the same forum and to enable critical but constructive interdisciplinary debate about key themes arising from the application of advanced ancient DNA analysis to the study of the European Neolithic. The resulting papers gathered here are by both geneticists and archaeologists. Individually, they form a series of significant, up-to-date, period, and regional syntheses of various manifestations of the Neolithic across the Near East and Europe, including particularly Britain and Ireland. Together, they offer wide-ranging reflections on the progress of ancient DNA studies and on their future reach and character.

Weight: 506g
Dimension: 240 x 171 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789259100