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Ars Technica

Ars Technica

The DNA secrets of a medieval cave-dwelling community

Ars Technica
Summary
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90% Informative

Scientists sequenced DNA from a Christian community in medieval Spain that lived in artificial caves carved into a rocky outcrop.

The settlement existed from the mid-sixth century to the 11th century CE.

Archaeological excavations at the cemetery have uncovered the remains of 41 people.

DNA was able to shed light on the ancestry of this community, relationships to each other and the diseases that afflicted them.