Medieval DNA reveals trans-Saharan connections, rapid genetic mixing and leprosy in Islamic Ibiza
Why it matters: Ancient DNA unveils a vibrant, interconnected medieval Ibiza, reshaping our understanding of historical migration and disease.
- An international research team led by the Centre for Palaeogenetics (CPG) analyzed ancient DNA from 13 individuals, uncovering a wide spectrum of genetic ancestries from European to North African, reflecting varying degrees of mixing after the Muslim conquest of Ibiza in 902 CE.
- Two individuals carried sub-Saharan African ancestry, tracing back to present-day Senegambia and southern Chad, providing direct genetic evidence of trans-Saharan military and/or slave networks described in medieval Arabic texts.
- Ricardo Rodríguez-Varela, lead author, highlights that these genomes confirm people from both the western and central Sahel became part of communities in Islamic Iberia, validating historical accounts of long-distance networks.
- The study also identified Mycobacterium leprae in one individual, marking the first genetically confirmed case of leprosy in medieval Islamic Iberia, with burial practices suggesting no social exclusion, a pattern also seen in contemporaneous Christian communities.
New DNA evidence from medieval Ibiza reveals a remarkably diverse population with connections spanning Europe, North Africa, and even sub-Saharan Africa, challenging the notion of the island as a quiet backwater. This genetic tapestry, reflecting rapid mixing following Muslim conquests, provides biological proof of trans-Saharan networks and offers the first genetically confirmed case of leprosy in medieval Islamic Iberia.
