Researchers analyzed DNA extracted from an individual interred over a millennium ago within a grand stone tomb located in southern Spain. The findings have been documented and released in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
The structure in question is the Menga Dolmen, an ancient megalithic monument constructed approximately 5,500 years ago, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Near the entrance to the burial chamber, archaeologists discovered the remains of two elderly males, interred with an approximate time gap of 190 years between them, during the period spanning the 8th to 11th centuries.
Obtaining viable genetic material presented considerable difficulty, as less than one percent of usable DNA remained intact. Nevertheless, specialized techniques enabled the reconstruction of the ancestry of one of the deceased. It was determined that his forebears originated from three distinct geographical areas simultaneously: the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. His paternal lineage pointed toward European origins, whereas his maternal line linked him with North African populations.
This discovery serves as evidence that families in medieval Iberia frequently mixed through maritime routes, thereby consolidating a heritage drawn from diverse peoples.
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