Byzantium & Friends 127. The genetic history of Rome, with Hannah Moots
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Jan 9, 2025 Hannah Moots, a Stockholm-based paleogeneticist, explores what ancient DNA reveals about Rome’s past. They discuss extracting DNA from ancient bones, tracing migration through genomes and isotopes, and comparing Roman populations across 10,000 years. The conversation spans pre-imperial diversity, imperial Rome’s Mediterranean connections, late antique shifts, Neanderthals, ancestry testing, and the political misuse of genetic history.
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Why Ancient DNA Comes From The Inner Ear
- The Rome project screened more than 200 skeletons and recovered 127 usable genomes from 27 sites across Rome and Lazio.
- Researchers favor the dense petrous bone behind the ear because its internal, protected structure preserves fragmented ancient DNA unusually well.
Use Ancient Comparisons To Avoid Modern Anachronisms
- Compare ancient individuals with contemporaneous ancient genomes whenever possible, rather than assuming modern populations represent the past.
- Modern geographic matches can mislead because mobility reshaped genetic distributions, especially after Mediterranean sailing expanded in the Iron Age.
Everyone Shares Ancient Ancestors
- Genetic resemblance usually reflects relatively recent shared ancestry, not proof that someone descends uniquely from a famous ancient population.
- Because ancestors multiply rapidly, people alive today can share ancient ancestors across many populations, while testing companies rely on proprietary comparison databases.
