DNA evidence reveals a Stone Age population collapse in France
Why it matters: The study of 132 individuals at the Bury site provides genetic evidence for a major Stone Age population collapse in France.
- An international team of researchers, by analyzing ancient skeletons near Paris, uncovered evidence of a dramatic population replacement 5,000 years ago, indicating the "Neolithic decline" was far-reaching.
- Kristian Kristiansen, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Gothenburg, emphasizes that this interdisciplinary effort helps understand one of European prehistory's most dramatic transitions.
- Frederik Seersholm, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen, highlights the "clear genetic break" between the two burial phases, suggesting a major disruption led to one population's decline and another's arrival.
- Laure Salanova, Directrice de recherche at CNRS, notes the first phase (around 3200–3100 BC) showed unusually high mortality, particularly among younger individuals, suggesting a catastrophic event like disease, famine, or conflict.
- Researchers identified DNA from pathogens like Yersinia pestis (plague) and Borrelia recurrentis (louse-borne relapsing fever) in the remains, with plague being more common in the earlier population, potentially contributing to the collapse.
New DNA evidence from a Neolithic burial site near Paris reveals a dramatic population replacement 5,000 years ago, confirming the "Neolithic decline" was a widespread phenomenon. Researchers found a clear genetic break between two distinct populations, with the earlier group showing signs of high mortality and the later group having strong genetic ties to Southern France and Iberia, suggesting a migration after the collapse.
