From Avars to Hungarians: The most comprehensive genetic research published yet

A groundbreaking study has been published, shedding new light on the genetic processes and population patterns of the Carpathian Basin during the Migration Period. This research, led by the Institute of Archaeogenomics at the HUN-REN Humanities Research Centre, represents the most comprehensive exploration of the region’s population dynamics to date.  

The research, led by the Institute of Archaeogenomics of the HUN-REN Humanities Research Centre, was carried out in an interdisciplinary manner with the collaboration of several national institutions and the use of state-of-the-art technologies. The results have been published in Science Advances.

According to HUN-REN.hu, the aim of the project is to unravel the genetic imprint of the population movements of the 6th to 11th centuries, with a particular focus on the relationship between the Avars and the core population of the Carpathian Basin, as well as the Avars and the squatters. The researchers analysed 296 human remains during the sample collection and employed advanced technologies such as Identity-by-Descent (IBD) analysis to process the data, which can reveal subtle relationships between archaic populations.

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Research background and methods

The research began in 2018 within the framework of the Árpád House programme, which aimed at the genetic analysis of the Transdanubian populations of the 8th to 11th centuries. These populations were compared with the genomes of other periods and regions. The analyses focused on the final period of the Avar Khaganate and the transitional period between the Hungarian conquest and the establishment of the state.

The samples included burials from the 7th to 11th centuries in the Carpathian Basin, as well as an artefact from beyond the Urals linked to the early Hungarians. The analyses revealed not only the genetic imprint of population movements but also the extent to which different populations intermarried.

Relations between the Avars, the squatters and the main population

One of the most intriguing findings is that the biological survival of the Hun groups of the Carpathian Basin, genetically of East Eurasian origin, cannot be detected during the period of the conquest. The Avars, also genetically of East Eurasian origin, formed a closed society and rarely intermarried with the local population. Their biological traces became sporadic after the conquest, meaning that continuity between the Avars and the Hungarians can be ruled out from a genetic perspective.

However, the invaders intermingled with the local population from the moment of their arrival. Although their genetic group constituted only a tenth of the European population that survived the Avar period, this intensive mixing significantly contributed to their survival, both genetically and culturally. This difference may explain why it was the Hungarians who endured in the region.

The research findings demonstrate that the population of the Carpathian Basin experienced considerable changes between the 6th and 11th centuries. The social structure and marriage patterns of the Avars shifted in the 7th century, while the presence of squatters in the Great Plain was substantial by the late 9th and early 10th centuries. Only in the latter half of the 10th century did they migrate into the Transdanubian region, where they integrated with local communities. This period marked the onset of genetic fusion among previously isolated groups, including several communities that had existed since Celtic times.

Hungarian presence before the conquest

A particularly notable outcome of the study is the evidence that Hungarian genetic groups were present in the Transdanubian region prior to the conquest. The remains of an adult male, identified through genetic analysis as an early Hungarian settler from the Ural region, were discovered in strata dated between 870 and 890 in Mosaburg (modern-day Zalavár). His genetic connection to a 10th-century individual from the Lowlands further supports the theory that Hungarians may have reached western territories before the conquest.

This research, the result of six years of dedicated work, has opened new avenues for understanding the population history of the Carpathian Basin. The archaeogenetic analyses have not only illuminated the genetic composition of the era but also provided insights into population relationships, social structures, and migration patterns.

This study has not only deepened our understanding of the past but has also established an essential foundation for future research in the field.

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