In Spain, many centuries ago

The early Middle Ages were a turbulent period in Europe. The collapse of the Roman Empire left a power vacuum filled by local aristocracies or invading peoples, especially in border regions such as the Iberian Peninsula.

Between the 5th and 8th centuries, present-day Spain was part of the Visigothic kingdom, which gave way to Muslim domination starting in 711 AD.

In this climate of instability, some communities took refuge in caves and, in some cases, continued to live there in the following centuries.
Las Gobas, in the province of Burgos, is one of these rural communities; active between the mid-6th and 11th centuries, it consisted of, in addition to homes, a small cemetery and a small church. A group of researchers analyzed the DNA of 39 of the 41 skeletons buried in the cemetery, discovering new information about this community. The study was published in August in the journal Science Advances. First of all, the researchers were able to establish that the inhabitants of Las Gobas were mostly of local origin and only a few individuals, who lived after the Muslim conquest, had a higher North African ancestry.

Two of the skeletons dating back to the initial phase of the settlement, closely related to each other, showed signs of sword blows to the head and were identified as former soldiers.
The settlement also shows strong consanguinity.
Many of the males of the first settlement were already close relatives, but even going forward over the centuries a strong endogamy is observed: people married within the community.
Finally, the presence of diseases was also detected, such as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (a skin disease caused by the close proximity to pigs) and smallpox, perhaps spread by pilgrims who went to Santiago de Compostela.
The study offers us a glimpse into a rural community and the lives of ordinary people, often eclipsed by the great history of monarchs and invasions of peoples.

Agnese Picco
NP October 2024