A new study combining archaeogenomic research with historical and archaeological analysis has provided fresh insights into the origins and diversity of the populations that lived in Central Europe under and after the Hun Empire between the late 4th and 6th centuries. The research suggests that while the Huns in Europe were highly diverse, some individuals can be directly linked to the elite of the earlier Xiongnu Empire—a powerful nomadic polity that dominated the Mongolian steppe centuries before the Huns appeared north and west of the Black Sea.
The Question of the Huns’ Origins
The sudden arrival of the Huns in Europe in the 370s CE led to the formation of a short-lived but influential empire. For centuries, scholars have debated whether the Huns were descended from the Xiongnu, a steppe empire that dissolved around 100 CE—leaving a 300-year gap before the Huns appeared in Europe. This study set out to determine whether DNA lineages could bridge that gap.
To investigate this question, researchers analyzed the DNA of 370 individuals spanning an 800-year period (2nd century BCE–6th century CE) from sites across the Mongolian steppe, Central Asia, and the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe. Among them, 35 newly sequenced genomes were examined from 3rd–4th century sites in Kazakhstan and 5th–6th century contexts in the Carpathian Basin. These included high-status burials exhibiting steppe-associated traits, often linked to nomadic traditions.
The study, conducted as part of the ERC Synergy Grant project HistoGenes, was led by an international team of geneticists, archaeologists, and historians, including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Their findings reveal that only a small fraction of the individuals from the Hun period in the Carpathian Basin carried East Asian ancestry. However, some of these individuals—often found in distinctive “eastern-type” burials—shared genetic markers with elite members of the late Xiongnu Empire.
Co-first author Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone of the Max Planck Institute explains:
“It came as a surprise to discover that few of these Hun-period individuals in Europe share IBD links with some of the highest-ranking imperial elite individuals from the late Xiongnu Empire.”
One of these connections includes an individual from the largest terrace tomb ever discovered in a Xiongnu context, suggesting that some among the European Huns could trace their lineage back to high-status burials in Mongolia.
While the study confirms that some direct descendants of the Xiongnu elite were present among the Huns, it also reveals that the population in the Carpathian Basin was highly heterogeneous. Co-first author Zsófia Rácz of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest highlights this complexity:
“DNA and archaeological evidence reveal a patchwork of ancestries, pointing to a complex process of mobility and interaction rather than a mass migration.”
Unlike the Avars, who arrived in Europe in the late 6th century directly from their East Asian empire and retained a significant genetic legacy, the Huns’ journey westward took generations. Along the way, they intermingled with various Eurasian populations, leading to a far more diverse population in Central Europe by the 5th century.
Co-corresponding author Walter Pohl of the Austrian Academy of Sciences adds:
“The Avars came directly to Europe after their East-Asian empire had been destroyed by the Turks, and many of their descendants still carried considerable East Asian ancestry until the end of their rule in c. 800. The ancestors of Attila’s Huns took many generations on their way westward and mixed with populations across Eurasia.”
Implications for European History
The study sheds light on how societies in the Carpathian Basin adapted to new arrivals. Co-corresponding author Zuzana Hofmanová of the Max Planck Institute notes:
“Although the Huns dramatically reshaped the political landscape, their actual genetic footprint – outside of certain elite burials – remains limited.”
Rather than a large-scale replacement of local populations, the genetic record suggests that most people in the region remained of predominantly European descent, with steppe influences woven into existing traditions.
Johannes Krause, director of the Department of Archaeogenetics at the Max Planck Institute, underscores the significance of these findings:
“From a broader perspective, the study underscores how cutting-edge genetic research, in combination with careful exploration of the archaeological and historical context, can resolve centuries-old debates about the composition and origin of past populations.”
While many questions remain, this research provides compelling evidence for direct links between the Hun period population in Europe, the steppe, and the Xiongnu Empire—offering new insights into the complex networks that connected East and West Eurasia in Late Antiquity.
The article, “Ancient genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire,” by Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, Zsófia Rácz, Salvatore Liccardo and Zuzana Hofmanová, is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Click here to read it.
A new study combining archaeogenomic research with historical and archaeological analysis has provided fresh insights into the origins and diversity of the populations that lived in Central Europe under and after the Hun Empire between the late 4th and 6th centuries. The research suggests that while the Huns in Europe were highly diverse, some individuals can be directly linked to the elite of the earlier Xiongnu Empire—a powerful nomadic polity that dominated the Mongolian steppe centuries before the Huns appeared north and west of the Black Sea.
The Question of the Huns’ Origins
The sudden arrival of the Huns in Europe in the 370s CE led to the formation of a short-lived but influential empire. For centuries, scholars have debated whether the Huns were descended from the Xiongnu, a steppe empire that dissolved around 100 CE—leaving a 300-year gap before the Huns appeared in Europe. This study set out to determine whether DNA lineages could bridge that gap.
To investigate this question, researchers analyzed the DNA of 370 individuals spanning an 800-year period (2nd century BCE–6th century CE) from sites across the Mongolian steppe, Central Asia, and the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe. Among them, 35 newly sequenced genomes were examined from 3rd–4th century sites in Kazakhstan and 5th–6th century contexts in the Carpathian Basin. These included high-status burials exhibiting steppe-associated traits, often linked to nomadic traditions.
DNA Links to Xiongnu Elites
The study, conducted as part of the ERC Synergy Grant project HistoGenes, was led by an international team of geneticists, archaeologists, and historians, including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Their findings reveal that only a small fraction of the individuals from the Hun period in the Carpathian Basin carried East Asian ancestry. However, some of these individuals—often found in distinctive “eastern-type” burials—shared genetic markers with elite members of the late Xiongnu Empire.
Co-first author Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone of the Max Planck Institute explains:
“It came as a surprise to discover that few of these Hun-period individuals in Europe share IBD links with some of the highest-ranking imperial elite individuals from the late Xiongnu Empire.”
One of these connections includes an individual from the largest terrace tomb ever discovered in a Xiongnu context, suggesting that some among the European Huns could trace their lineage back to high-status burials in Mongolia.
A Mixed Legacy in the Carpathian Basin
While the study confirms that some direct descendants of the Xiongnu elite were present among the Huns, it also reveals that the population in the Carpathian Basin was highly heterogeneous. Co-first author Zsófia Rácz of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest highlights this complexity:
“DNA and archaeological evidence reveal a patchwork of ancestries, pointing to a complex process of mobility and interaction rather than a mass migration.”
Unlike the Avars, who arrived in Europe in the late 6th century directly from their East Asian empire and retained a significant genetic legacy, the Huns’ journey westward took generations. Along the way, they intermingled with various Eurasian populations, leading to a far more diverse population in Central Europe by the 5th century.
Co-corresponding author Walter Pohl of the Austrian Academy of Sciences adds:
“The Avars came directly to Europe after their East-Asian empire had been destroyed by the Turks, and many of their descendants still carried considerable East Asian ancestry until the end of their rule in c. 800. The ancestors of Attila’s Huns took many generations on their way westward and mixed with populations across Eurasia.”
Implications for European History
The study sheds light on how societies in the Carpathian Basin adapted to new arrivals. Co-corresponding author Zuzana Hofmanová of the Max Planck Institute notes:
“Although the Huns dramatically reshaped the political landscape, their actual genetic footprint – outside of certain elite burials – remains limited.”
Rather than a large-scale replacement of local populations, the genetic record suggests that most people in the region remained of predominantly European descent, with steppe influences woven into existing traditions.
Johannes Krause, director of the Department of Archaeogenetics at the Max Planck Institute, underscores the significance of these findings:
“From a broader perspective, the study underscores how cutting-edge genetic research, in combination with careful exploration of the archaeological and historical context, can resolve centuries-old debates about the composition and origin of past populations.”
While many questions remain, this research provides compelling evidence for direct links between the Hun period population in Europe, the steppe, and the Xiongnu Empire—offering new insights into the complex networks that connected East and West Eurasia in Late Antiquity.
The article, “Ancient genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire,” by Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, Zsófia Rácz, Salvatore Liccardo and Zuzana Hofmanová, is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Click here to read it.
Top Image: Ancient Xiongnu warrior depicted in belt buckle. On display at National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 4.0
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