61% endogamy and evidence of violence found in DNA sequencing of a medieval Spanish cave-dwelling community.
A groundbreaking study published in Science Advances reveals new insights into a medieval Christian community in northern Spain who lived in artificial caves from the 6th to the 11th century. DNA sequencing of 39 remains from the Las Gobas settlement in Burgos province sheds light on their ancestry, relationships, and diseases, providing a unique understanding of life in this rural cave-dwelling community during a tumultuous period in European history. The study found evidence of inbreeding, with approximately 61% of the sample showing signs of endogamy, suggesting that the community married only within their group. The research also uncovered evidence of violence, with two skeletons from the early phase of settlement showing signs of sword blows to the head. Additionally, the presence of the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, commonly found in domestic animals such as pigs, indicates that keeping livestock was an essential part of the community's lifestyle.