title: Maternal Genetic Composition of a Medieval Population from a Hungarian-Slavic Contact Zone in Central Europe.
abstract: The genetic composition of the medieval populations of Central Europe has been poorly investigated to date. In particular, the region of modern-day Slovakia is a blank spot in archaeogenetic research. This paper reports the study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ancient samples from the 9th-12th centuries originating from the cemeteries discovered in Nitra-Šindolka and Čakajovce, located in western Slovakia (Central Europe). This geographical region is interesting to study because its medieval multi-ethnic population lived in the so-called contact zone of the territory of the Great Moravian and later Hungarian state formations. We described 16 different mtDNA haplotypes in 19 individuals, which belong to the most widespread European mtDNA haplogroups: H, J, T, U and R0. Using comparative statistical and population genetic analyses, we showed the differentiation of the European gene pool in the medieval period. We also demonstrated the heterogeneous genetic characteristics of the investigated population and its affinity to the populations of modern Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Csákyová
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szécsényi-Nagy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Aranka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Csősz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. Selye University in Komárno, Komárno, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Archaeology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Nitra, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fusek
authors.affiliation: Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langó
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia.|Research Institute for Animal Production, NAFC, Nitra, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Balázs Gusztáv
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Mende
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. Selye University in Komárno, Komárno, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Makovický
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauerová
mesh_terms: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005826:Genetics, Medical; D006239:Haplotypes; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000266:history*; D018154:Slovakia
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial