Palaeogenetic Research and the Archaeology of the Early Middle Ages: On Patrick Geary’s Book
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6093/1593-2214/14120Keywords:
Early Middle Ages, Great Migrations, Paleogenetics, Archaeology, Ethnicity, Archaeological culture, Material cultureAbstract
Patrick Geary’s book (2025) demonstrates, through numerous examples (Lombards, Avars, Slavs…), the importance of paleogenetic research for reconstructing ancient and medieval history, especially the transition from late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages. It also offers an opportunity to reconsider the possibilities and limits of interpreting archaeological material. Such interpretation may be ethnic, cultural, or socio-political, and the same models should not be applied to all archaeological cultures. Finally, an ethnic group must not be confused with a genetic group: it is unrealistic to expect to identify a biologically homogeneous people.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Michel Kazanski
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