When the Lombards migrated into Italy in the 6th century CE, they brought more than just political upheaval. Their arrival offers a rare window into how ancient societies merged, genetically and culturally. Thanks to ancient DNA, we now see that integration was both rapid and complex.

Lombard Migrations and Mixed Communities

Genetic data from early medieval cemeteries in Szólád (Hungary) and Collegno (Italy) reveal that individuals identified archaeologically as Lombards were not a genetically uniform group. While some retain strong central or northern European ancestry, others, especially in Italy, do not.

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