DNA from ancient graves reveals the culture of a mysterious nomadic people

Michael Eisenstein is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Most people know about the Huns, if only because of their infamous warrior-ruler Attila. But the Avars, another nomadic people who subsequently occupied roughly the same region of eastern and central Europe, have remained obscure despite having assembled a sprawling empire that lasted from the late sixth century to the early ninth century. Even archaeologists have struggled to piece together their history and culture, relying on spotty and potentially biased contemporaneous chronicles that, in many cases, were authored by the Avars’ adversaries.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01165-7

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Publish date : 2024-04-24 07:00:00

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