The genetic signature of modern Europeans is the cumulated result of millennia of discrete small-scale exchanges between multiple distinct population groups that performed a repeated cycle of movement, settlement, and interactions with each other. In this study we aimed to highlight one such minute genetic cycle in a sea of genetic interactions by reconstructing part of the genetic story of the migration, settlement, interaction, and legacy of what is today the Transylvanian Saxon. The analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region of 13 medieval individuals from Feldioara necropolis (Transylvania region, Romania) reveals a genetically heterogeneous group where all identified haplotypes are different. Most of the perceived maternal lineages are of Western Eurasian origin, except for the Central Asiatic haplogroup C seen in only one sample. Comparisons with historical and modern populations describe the contribution of the investigated Saxon settlers to the genetic history of this part of Europe.

The Báthory family was one of the most powerful noble families in the medieval Hungarian Kingdom. Their influence peaked during the Ottoman occupation of Hungary, when the only partially autonomous region of the country was Transylvania, under Turkish protectorate. Several members of the family became Princes of Transylvania, and one of them, István Báthory, was also the elected King of Poland. We hereby present the first genetic data about this extinct family. Archaeological excavations in Pericei, a settlement now part of Romania, revealed the former family chapel of the Báthory family. Through this work, two Báthory family members were successfully identified among the 13 skeletons found at the site. The presence of Y chromosome haplogroup R-S498 fits the historical account describing the family’s German (Swabian) origins. Their genomic composition also indicates a family of Germanic origin that intermixed with medieval Hungarians.

The Aba family played a pivotal role in the early history of Medieval Hungary dominating extensive territories and giving rise to influential figures. We conducted an archaeogenetic examination of remains uncovered at the necropolis in Abasár, the political centre of the Aba clan, to identify Aba family members and shed light on their genetic origins. Utilizing Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data from 19 individuals, complemented by radiocarbon measurements, we identified 6 members of the Aba family who shared close kinship relations. Our analysis revealed that 4 males from this family carried identical N1a1a1a1a4∼ haplogroups. Significantly, our phylogenetic investigation traced this royal paternal lineage back to Mongolia, strongly suggesting its migration to the Carpathian Basin with the conquering Hungarians. Genome analysis, incorporating ADMIXTURE, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and qpAdm, revealed East Eurasian patterns in the studied genomes, consistent with our phylogenetic results. Shared Identity by Descent (IBD) analysis confirmed the family kinship relations and shed light on further external kinship connections. It revealed that members of the Aba family were related to members of prominent Hungarian medieval noble families the Árpáds, Báthorys and Corvinus as well as to the first-generation immigrant elite of the Hungarian conquest.

S ummary: The nomadic Sarmatians dominated the Pontic Steppe from 3rd century BCE and the Great Hungarian Plain from 50 CE until the Huns’ 4th-century expansion. In this study, we present the first large-scale genetic analysis of 156 genomes from 1st- to 5th-century Hungary and the Carpathian foothills. Our findings reveal minor East Asian ancestry in the Carpathian Basin (CB) Sarmatians, distinguishing them from other regional populations. Using F4-statistics, qpAdm, and IBD analysis, we show that CB Sarmatians descended from Steppe Sarmatians originating in the Ural and Kazakhstan regions, with Romanian Sarmatians serving as a genetic bridge between the two groups. We also identify two previously unknown migration waves during the Sarmatian era and a notable continuity of the Sarmatian population into the Hunnic period, despite a smaller influx of Asian-origin individuals. These results shed new light on Sarmatian migrations and the genetic history of a key population neighbouring the Roman Empire.