medieval worlds ‒ comparative and interdisciplinary studies, No. 4/2016

In recent years, molecular genetics has opened up an entirely new approach to human history. DNA evidence is now being used not only in studies of early human evolution (molecular anthropology), but is increasingly helping to solve the puzzles of history. This emergent research field has become known as »genetic history«. <br/><br/>The paper gives an overview on this new field of research. The aim is both to discuss in what ways the ascendant discipline of genetic history is relevant, and to pinpoint both the potentials and the pitfalls of the field. At the same time, we would like to raise the profile of the field within the humanities and cultural studies. We hope that the opportunity for communication between representatives of different disciplines will contribute to loosening up the widespread monodisciplinary method of working and, in particular, bring together the relevant scientific and cultural streams of research.

Keywords: interdisciplinarity, Genetics, Archaeology, History, genetic history

Traditional views and ›master narratives‹ have long been outdated by recent research. Identity has become a keyword in social research. It means the self-consciousness of groups. Ethnic identity therefore characterises the perceptions of a people and their particularity, and varies among every other nation. Nevertheless, this is a social and cultural construct depending on each group’s specific situation. Ethnic identity has to be flexible and appropriate to the necessities and interests of each group. Genes are a matter of biology. Ancient DNA is preserved in smaller fragments which mainly allow approximations of population development. Modern DNA reflects actual distribution and the complex, but overlapping historical information at the population level. Expecting any direct accord between population history and social history would be a fall-back into nineteenth century conceptions of the ideal nation state: homogeneous in space, race, culture, language and people. This could only be a rare historical exception. The complex relations between both research fields provide promising perspectives, which can be followed only by a narrow exchange between biological and historical disciplines. Together, new and adequate questions should be developed.

Keywords: methodology, early middle ages, aDNA analysis, isotope analysis, contextual analysis, spatial analysis, typology, Chronology

Migration is a key concept in archaeology. It is a common explanation for the distribution and diffusion of cultural traits. However, it is more often an axiomatic postulate than the result of sound methodological analysis. The weaknesses of this approach have become apparent and have brought migration-as-explanation into disrepute. For archaeological investigation of the Migration Period the problem is further aggravated. Ancient written sources report an abundance of migrations associated with particular peoples. These sources often provide the coordinate system of archaeological investigations with fatal consequences as archaeology runs the risk of losing its independent methodological basis. Recently, new methods derived from the life sciences have joined in and have created new approaches to migration analysis. These methods sometimes provide a corrective that can compensate for the weaknesses of archaeology’s own methodology. Archaeology now faces new challenges. Archaeological sources are often neither compatible with written sources, nor with the findings of the diverse life science methods. It is becoming apparent that archaeology has lost its previous methodological command for investigating migration. As a scientific discipline archaeology has to finds its place in migration research anew.

Keywords: Indo-Europeans, Anglo-Saxons, Genetics, migration, Archaeology

This article reviews scientific publications that have attempted to use genetic and genomic data in order to investigate European migrations between the fourth and ninth centuries. It considers early single-locus studies that used mtDNA and y-chromosome data. These studies were successful in formulating hypotheses concerning migration and heterogeneity, primarily between the Continent and the British Isles and Iceland, but could only examine a small portion of the entire genetic inheritance. The article continues with a presentation of more recent genome-wide studies. In particular, it evaluates the problems of using modern genomic data to understand past migratory processes, arguing that modern DNA is a problematic source for understanding population histories of the past fifteen hundred years and urges the sequencing and analysis of ancient DNA. It also presents some of the problems of research teams that did not include archaeologists and historians as integral participants in the planning, collection, and evaluation of data. It concludes with a brief outline of the authors’ current project that examines migration between Pannonia and Italy in the sixth century.

Keywords: Langobards, population genetics, ancient DNA, migration, genomics

This paper is devoted to the much debated problem of the expansion of Bantu languages over most of the southern half of Africa. Apart from being a major lingustic phenomenon it is a culture-historical and, more specifically, an archaeological topic as well. The reasoning focuses on three aspects: (1) Bantu languages; (2) rainforest archaeology; and (3) Bantu genetics. While the Bantu language dispersal and sub-Saharan archaeology are in some sense historically linked, Bantu genetics is a kind of ›newcomer‹ to the field. As the title indicates, the impact of molecular anthropology on finding an answer to the Bantu expansion – here epitomized by the term ›geneticizing Bantu‹ – claims some importance in this presentation. It has to be stressed, however, that human genetics is by no means the principal topic here. Rather, the emphasis lies on the interplay between Bantu linguistics, archaeology and Bantu genetics. Consequently, it is the combination of all three which is at stake. As the subtitle puts it: we may well ask whether this trinity leads jointly to historical insight or hides a historical trilemma. The paper tries to enumerate some basic points of each field. Likewise, it aims to assess each field’s strengths and weaknesses in order to arrive at an answer to the subtitle’s question.

Keywords: Münchhausen trilemma, Bantu genetics, rainforest archaeology, Bantu languages, Central African rainforest, sub-Saharan Africa, molecular genetics, prehistoric archaeology, historical linguistics

As the field of genetic history has grown, academic interest in migration, peoples and ethnic identities has also grown apace. The people of the British Isles have been a focus of research in this area. Specifically, researchers have been fishing for Vikings in the gene pool. My paper begins, therefore, with some brief remarks on the etymology of the term »Viking«, its historical usage and the reception of Vikings in modern times. I address practices of naming as well as the role of romanticization and mythologization as constituents of the popular image of »the Vikings«. The discussion makes it apparent that the term »Viking« has a wide variety of associations and that behind the shared designation, which functions as a kind of semantic shorthand, lie many relationships that have yet to be studied. For that reason, in a second step, this paper outlines what are, in some cases, the greatly diverging conceptualizations of time, space, mobility and identity on which archaeological and genetic interpretations are based. I discuss in particular the problem posed by the essentialization of archaeological subjects as well as the »naturalization« of protagonists of historiographical narratives and their equation with historical actors. Finally, I address the dangers associated with identity politics, which go on both outside the academic discourse and within academia itself. Our duty now is to steer clear of mere battles over the prerogatives of interpretation. Instead, we must cultivate academic and political reflexivity, as well as mutual acceptance. Only by doing so will we be able to explore questions – and they are important questions – concerning the constitution and historicization of identities, interactions among migrations, mobility and identity, and about the relationships between biological and social reproduction.

Keywords: Archaeology, genetic history, Britain, historiography, Vikings

With the rise of genetic studies of human history over the last two decades, criticism has arisen among the disciplines traditionally concerned with this subject, i.e. anthropology, archaeology and history. This criticism is concerned with the biological construct of historical communities – whether they be called tribes, (ethnic) groups, migrants or populations – that neglects decades of scholarly discourse on these matters by transferring these entities into primarily biological spheres. This essay is based on a systematic analysis of scientific articles reporting genetic research in the context of the history of what is now Turkey. Analysing the structure, methods and contents of this genetic research from the perspective of an archaeologist and historian, I discuss the issue of past and present identity according to both sampling criteria and the major research question, i.e. the Central Asian origin of the Turks.

Keywords: Central Asian origin, Anatolia, sampling, identity, History, Genetics