Tracing the movements of Iron Age Mediterranean populations with ancient DNA
Press Release by Michaela Lucci The Iron Age was a dynamic period that saw the expansion of Greek and Phoenician colonies and the rise of Carthage as the dominant maritime power in the Mediterranean, and eventually the rise of Rome. The increased ease of long-distance travel thanks to advances in sailing and maritime navigation had facilitated travel and established new networks of interaction for trade, colonisation and conflict. An international study, coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome, has sequenced 30 genomes of ancient populations from Kerkouane (Tunisia), Sant'Imbenia (Sardinia, Italy) and Tarquinia (central Italy) to study mobility within the central Mediterranean. The results have been published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Photo Caption: One of the wall murals from the Tomb of the Leopards at Tarquinia, dating to around 450 BCE. Photo taken by Hannah Moots. A new international study, coordinated by researchers from Sapienza University of Rome in collaborati...
