AI interpretationAI-generated
Ancient DNA from 78 Imdang-Joyeong individuals reveals a dense kinship network in Three-Kingdoms Korea.
This study analyzed ancient DNA from 78 people buried at the Imdang-Joyeong site in Gyeongsan, Korea, dating to the Three-Kingdoms period (late 4th to early 6th centuries CE). The researchers found many close and distant relatives, showing that the two burial areas were not separate families but part of one continuous kinship network. They also found five individuals whose parents were close relatives, matching historical records of consanguineous marriage. Unlike some European studies, adult females were buried with their kin, suggesting endogamous burial practices. Grave owners and sacrificed individuals had similar genetic profiles, indicating population homogeneity.
- The Imdang and Joyeong burial sites were not distinct families but had continuous kinship connections.
- Five individuals had parents who were close relatives, supporting historical records of consanguineous marriage in the region.
- Adult females were buried with their kin, and males and females had similar numbers of kinship connections, suggesting endogamous mortuary practices.
Sample interpretation
The site yielded 83 samples, with 35 having resolved Y-chromosome haplogroups. The most common Y lineages include O-L682, O-F1942, and O-CTS713, each found in three individuals, reflecting typical East Asian paternal lines. Mitochondrial DNA was diverse, with D4a and G3a1'2 among the most frequent. These genetic markers align with the overall homogeneity of the population, showing no clear distinction between grave owners and sacrificed individuals.
For genealogy enthusiasts
For ancestry enthusiasts, this study shows that ancient Korean societies practiced complex kinship and marriage patterns, including endogamy and consanguinity. It also highlights that genetic profiles of grave owners and sacrificed individuals were similar, suggesting shared ancestry. The Y and mtDNA lineages can help trace paternal and maternal roots in modern Koreans.
Abstract
The burial complex of the Imdang-Joyeong site at Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea, is notable for the large number of tombs constructed for a short period of late 4th to early 6th centuries CE as well as frequent presence of burials with sacrificed individuals co-buried with the grave owner. To characterize this Three-Kingdoms period society from a genetic perspective, I conducted ancient DNA analysis on 182 skeletal elements, resulting in a successful retrieval of genome-wide data from 78 individuals buried at the burial complex. Using genome-wide data, I detected 11, 23, 20 pairs of the first, second, and three-or-more-distant relatives, respectively, providing rich information on the kinship network in the Imdang-Joyeong society. I found that the Imdang and Joyeong burial site does not represent distinct families; I find continuous kinship connections between the two burial sites. I also found 5 individuals whose parents were close relatives of each other, coinciding with historical records of consanguineous marriage in this region during the Three-Kingdoms period. Within the reconstructed pedigrees, I observed adult female descendants buried together with their kin, unlike several recent archaeogenetic studies in Europe reporting a strict pattern of female exogamy. By comparing the sharing of IBD (Identity-By-Descent) segments longer than 12 cM between Imdang-Joyeong ancients, I reconfirm that adult females and adult males share similar number of kinship connections with other buried relatives. These findings suggest an endogamous mortuary practice within the Imdang-Joyeong burial site. I also observed no difference in the genetic profiles between the grave owners and the sacrificed individuals, suggesting the overall homogeneity of the Three-Kingdoms period populations ancestral to modern Koreans. My analysis sheds light on the burial customs and social structure at the Imdang-Joyeong site and provides a new perspective on the Three-Kingdoms period society in Korea.