Ancient genomes reveal the integration of genetically distinct groups within the early medieval Avar society in the Vienna Basin, Austria.

Research that brought together expertise from multiple disciplines has revealed that genes and culture do not necessarily align. The latest findings from the European Research Council’s HistoGenes project stem from a genetic analysis of burial sites dating to the Avar period in the 8th century CE. The Avars, who arrived in the 6th century from the East Asian steppes, settled in East Central Europe alongside a diverse population.