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Cited by 195Forensic and Genetic ResearchForensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesAncient and Medieval Archaeology Studies

Unraveling ancestry, kinship, and violence in a Late Neolithic mass grave

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Schroeder, Hannes, Margaryan, Ashot, Szmyt, Marzena, Theulot, Bertrand, Włodarczak, Piotr, Rasmussen, Simon, Gopalakrishnan, Shyam, Szczepanek, Anita +15 more·2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1820210116PMC PMC6561172
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Abstract

The third millennium BCE was a period of major cultural and demographic changes in Europe that signaled the beginning of the Bronze Age. People from the Pontic steppe expanded westward, leading to the formation of the Corded Ware complex and transforming the genetic landscape of Europe. At the time, the Globular Amphora culture (3300–2700 BCE) existed over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, but little is known about their interaction with neighboring Corded Ware groups and steppe societies. Here we present a detailed study of a Late Neolithic mass grave from southern Poland belonging to the Globular Amphora culture and containing the remains of 15 men, women, and children, all killed by blows to the head. We sequenced their genomes to between 1.1- and 3.9-fold coverage and performed kinship analyses that demonstrate that the individuals belonged to a large extended family. The bodies had been carefully laid out according to kin relationships by someone who evidently knew the deceased. From a population genetic viewpoint, the people from Koszyce are clearly distinct from neighboring Corded Ware groups because of their lack of steppe-related ancestry. Although the reason for the massacre is unknown, it is possible that it was connected with the expansion of Corded Ware groups, which may have resulted in competition for resources and violent conflict. Together with the archaeological evidence, these analyses provide an unprecedented level of insight into the kinship structure and social behavior of a Late Neolithic community.

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  • The Neolithic period is increasingly recognised as one marked by conflict and instability, driven by profound social and demographic transformations linked to the shift from foraging to farming.

    “This period is increasingly recognised as one marked by conflict and instability, driven by profound social and demographic transformations linked to the shift from foraging to farming.”

    From Evidence of neolithic cannibalism among farming communities at El Mirador cave, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain (2025) · cites this paper as [59]

    The Results and Discussion section (‘Intergroup Conflict and Violence’; page not provided) describes Neolithic massacres associated with population pressure, resource competition, and the expansion of new groups. The Concluding Remarks call the early third millennium BCE unstable and tumultuous. Neither passage links that violence to the shift from foraging to farming, and the paper’s account is narrower than a claim about the Neolithic period as a whole. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • High population pressure, competition over resources, and interactions between indigenous Mesolithic groups and incoming Neolithic farming communities often resulted in violent confrontations of varying scale.

    “High population pressure, competition over resources, and interactions between indigenous Mesolithic groups and incoming Neolithic farming communities often resulted in violent confrontations of varying scale59,60]65–68.”

    From Evidence of neolithic cannibalism among farming communities at El Mirador cave, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain (2025) · cites this paper as [59]

    The Results and Discussion section (“Intergroup Conflict and Violence”; page unavailable) links Neolithic lethal violence and massacres to population pressure, resource competition, and expansion into occupied territory. It does not identify violent confrontations specifically between indigenous Mesolithic groups and incoming Neolithic farming communities; its discussion of the Koszyce massacre instead concerns possible conflict involving Globular Amphora and Corded Ware groups. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • A similar age pattern is observed at Neolithic sites in central Europe, where mass violent events involving entire communities or family groups have been recorded.

    “A similar age pattern is observed at Neolithic sites in central Europe, where mass violent events involving entire communities or family groups have been recorded59,60.”

    From Evidence of neolithic cannibalism among farming communities at El Mirador cave, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain (2025) · cites this paper as [59]

  • In cases where injuries caused by interpersonal violence and cannibalistic processing overlap, it is often difficult to distinguish butchering from killing.

    “Moreover, in cases where injuries caused by interpersonal violence and cannibalistic processing overlap, it is often difficult to distinguish butchering from killing59.”

    From Evidence of neolithic cannibalism among farming communities at El Mirador cave, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain (2025) · cites this paper as [59]

    The Results and Discussion section identifies cranial fractures as evidence that the Koszyce individuals were killed by blows to the head. Searches for cannibalistic processing, butchering, and difficulty distinguishing butchering from killing found no passage addressing that diagnostic problem. (LLM, conf=0.75)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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References 64 · Cited by 195

Research works printed but not linked: 29

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Authors
Schroeder, H., Margaryan, A., Szmyt, M., Theulot, B., Włodarczak, P., Rasmussen, S., Gopalakrishnan, S., Szczepanek, A., Konopka, T., Jensen, T. Z. T., Witkowska, B., Wilk, S., Przybyła, M. M., Pospieszny, Ł., Sjögren, K.-G., Belka, Z., Olsen, J., Kristiansen, K., Willerslev, E., Frei, K. M., Sikora, M., Johannsen, N. N., & Allentoft, M. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
  • Archaeological Museum in Poznań (PL)
  • Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
  • Jagiellonian University (PL)
  • Dolmen S.C., 30-512 Kraków, Poland;
  • University of Bristol (GB)
  • University of Gothenburg (SE)
  • Isotope Laboratory, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-680 Poznań, Poland;
  • Aarhus University (DK)
  • National Museum of Denmark (DK)
Corresponding author
  • Schroeder, Hannes
  • Johannsen, Niels N.
  • Allentoft, Morten E.
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2019-05-06
Volume
116
Issue
22
Pages
10705-10710
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1820210116
PMC
PMC6561172
OpenAlex
W2944136036
Cited by
195
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 7
FWCI
13.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Homo Politicus (Academy of Humanities and Economics in Lodz) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Ministry of Culture Research Portal (submittedVersion)
  • Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Villum Fonden (10120)
  • EC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (649307)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Forensic and Genetic Research
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies
Keywords
Globular Amphora culture, Corded Ware, Late Neolithic, mass graves, kinship, extended family, violence, head trauma, Pontic steppe, Steppe ancestry, Bronze Age transition, social behavior, ancient genomes
MeSH terms
DNA, Ancient, Adolescent, Adult, Archaeology, Burial, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Middle Aged, Pedigree, Poland, Violence, History, Ancient, Young Adult, Human Migration

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