Unveiling the Origins and Genetic Makeup of the 'Forgotten People': A Study of the Sarmatian-Period Population in the Carpathian Basin

Abstract

The nomadic Sarmatians dominated the Pontic Steppe from 3rd century BCE and the Great Hungarian Plain from 50 CE until the Huns’ 4th-century expansion. In this study, we present the first large-scale genetic analysis of 156 genomes from 1st- to 5th-century Hungary and the Carpathian foothills. Our findings reveal minor East Asian ancestry in the Carpathian Basin (CB) Sarmatians, distinguishing them from other regional populations. Using F4-statistics, qpAdm, and IBD analysis, we show that CB Sarmatians descended from Steppe Sarmatians originating in the Ural and Kazakhstan regions, with Romanian Sarmatians serving as a genetic bridge between the two groups. We also identify two previously unknown migration waves during the Sarmatian era and a notable continuity of the Sarmatian population into the Hunnic period, despite a smaller influx of Asian-origin individuals. These results shed new light on Sarmatian migrations and the genetic history of a key population neighbouring the Roman Empire.