The Roman Empire was arguably the greatest empire known to mankind. For centuries, the Romans ruled much of Europe and its neighboring areas, establishing a flourishing system that was remarkably efficient. After the fall of this empire, Europe entered a period of significant social and political change. New communities formed, old structures crumbled, and power shifted across the continent.

It’s easy to assume that families who were in power in Roman times stayed in power — but this assumption isn’t necessarily true. A recent study looked at the elites that emerged from the ashes of the Roman Empire, finding remarkably communities.

The history of a ruling family

The study focused on a cemetery in Collegno, Italy, a burial site from the 6th to 8th centuries CE. The researchers sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 28 individuals from the cemetery and incorporated data from 24 previously published genomes. They also studied individuals’ patterns of social mobility, burial patterns, and diet.

“When the Roman Empire collapsed, we did not really know much about how new communities formed, yet many of these communities would go on to be the basis for modern European countries,” explains Veeramah, an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolution in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Director of The Veeramah Lab, which is dedicated the study of evolutionary genomics.

“Our study reveals that these elites were genetically surprisingly diverse, and in the process of creating new European communities in the medieval era, families with diverse genetic ancestry would come together to form ruling groups.”

Initially, the ruling group was established by and organized around a network of biologically and socially connected individuals — let’s say, family and close friends. These individuals were likely part of multiple elite families that, over time, evolved into a single extended lineage through intermarriage. The earliest members of this community had mixed Central and Northern European ancestry, supporting the idea of a diverse elite group settling in the region. They were buried in distinctive fashion, with weapons, elaborate belts, and using specific burial structures.

Generally, the community intermarried a lot. However, over time, the elite community also welcomed new members. Individuals with different genetic backgrounds began appearing at the site. These newcomers were buried in simple, irregularly-shaped graves, often overlapping with earlier burials. The presence of these individuals with distinct genetic ancestry suggests a new group arrived and integrated into the community during its later stages, further adding to the site’s diversity.

The study is consistent with findings from other areas, researchers say.

“In 2018, our team published a paper that demonstrated genomic and cultural similarities between Collegno and Szólád, a village in modern Hungary that showed a significant correspondence between individuals with a northern European ancestry in both,” adds Patrick Geary, Ph.D., of the Institute for Advanced Study.

“Our new study follows the transformation of this Italian community over a century, and shows how new groups moved into and merged with the existing inhabitants.”

Mobility and diversity

Researchers used not only genetic but also isotopic analysis to figure out what this community was like. Isotopic analysis revealed differences in the foods they consumed. While most individuals relied primarily on C3 plants, which are common in cooler, wetter environments; a significant proportion also consumed C4 plants, such as millet, which was more commonly associated with Mediterranean diets. This highlights the community’s ability to incorporate diverse cultural practices. This might have been just the way things happened, or it could have been a strategy to enhance social cohesion and resilience.

Ultimately, mobility played a crucial role in the formation and development of the Collegno community. The integration of individuals from diverse genetic backgrounds into the community indicates a level of social fluidity that is not strictly bound by genetic or familial ties. The presence of non-local strontium isotope signatures among some individuals suggests that even within this elite group, there was considerable movement and interaction with other regions.

All of this goes to show that these elites were not simply remnants of the Roman aristocracy. Some undoubtedly came from wealthy Roman families. But others were newly formed groups that included individuals from various backgrounds. Their ability to integrate newcomers and maintain social cohesion was likely a key factor in their success and longevity.

The study “The role of emerging elites in the formation and development of communities after the fall of the Roman Empire” was published in the journal PNAS.