Ancient-DNA and stable isotope analyses on a 16th-century Saami burial from Northern Finland
In parts of northern Finland, the 17th–19th centuries CE marked a transition from the semi-nomadic lifestyle of the Saami, the indigenous people of Northern Fennoscandia, to agriculture brought by Finnish settlers, leading to the disappearance of the Kemi Saami language and the assimilation of their speaker communities into the Finnish population. This study investigates the genetic, isotopic, and cultural aspects of a Saami individual buried in Kuusamo, Finland, at the turn of the 16th–17th centuries. It is the oldest inhumation burial from the region, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to the studies of Saami history. The individual shows a clear genetic affinity with modern Saami. We analysed the individual's identity-by-descent (IBD) connectivity within present-day Finland and found it to be highest in northeastern Lapland, indicating that the individual had genetic roots near this region. In line with these results, the isotope analyses suggest childhood farther north or northeast than the place of burial, but indicate dietary shifts connected to long-distance mobility during lifetime. Most strikingly, the results indicate that the individual resided outside Finland, possibly in Iceland, during late childhood. The absence of freshwater dietary signal in adulthood suggests they may have arrived in the Kuusamo region only shortly before their death.
In parts of northern Finland, the 17th–19th centuries CE marked a transition from the semi-nomadic lifestyle of the Saami, the indigenous people of Northern Fennoscandia, to agriculture brought by Finnish settlers, leading to the disappearance of the Kemi Saami language and the assimilation of their speaker communities into the Finnish population. This study investigates the genetic, isotopic, and cultural aspects of a Saami individual buried in Kuusamo, Finland, at the turn of the 16th–17th centuries. It is the oldest inhumation burial from the region, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to the studies of Saami history. The individual shows a clear genetic affinity with modern Saami. We analysed the individual's identity-by-descent (IBD) connectivity within present-day Finland and found it to be highest in northeastern Lapland, indicating that the individual had genetic roots near this region. In line with these results, the isotope analyses suggest childhood farther north or northeast than the place of burial, but indicate dietary shifts connected to long-distance mobility during lifetime. Most strikingly, the results indicate that the individual resided outside Finland, possibly in Iceland, during late childhood. The absence of freshwater dietary signal in adulthood suggests they may have arrived in the Kuusamo region only shortly before their death.
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology