Genomic profiles of the Khazar-Period inhabitants of Phanagoria

The Phanagoria settlement, located on the Taman Peninsula, is a unique archaeological site. The history of the ancient city spans approximately 15 centuries, making Phanagoria a witness to many historical events, including those related to the early history of the Old Rus’ state. The early medieval period of Phanagoria’s history is of particular interest due to its insufficient study. The Phanagoria Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Phanagoria Museum-Reserve, studied the city’s cultural strata from the 7th–10th centuries. This period of the urban center’s existence is closely linked to the history of the Khazar Khaganate and culminates in the city’s destruction as a result of an enemy attack. During excavations, skeletal remains bearing signs of violent death were discovered. Anthropological analysis revealed Mongoloid features of the individuals discovered. This paper presents the results of a bioinformatics-based analysis of whole-genome sequences from the remains of three individuals from  a Khazar cultural layer. Radiocarbon dating was performed for two individuals. High mitochondrial DNA coverage  (43- to 96-fold) confirmed its low level of contamination, and determined the mitochondrial chromosome haplogroup. High genome coverage confirmed the authenticity of the analyzed ancient DNA and allowed the determination of the individuals’ sex and Y-chromosome haplogroup. Population analysis was performed using PCA, ancestral component analysis, using ADMIXTURE, and allele frequency correlation analysis, using the f3 statistic. Whole-genome data analysis of the three samples demonstrated the genetic proximity of the studied individuals to the modern Turkic-speaking population of Central Asia, as well as to early medieval nomadic groups of the Eurasian steppe, Hungarian Avars, and Mongols. Principal component analysis revealed the presence of Asian and European genetic components in the genomes of the studied samples. Our study suggests that the genetic profile of the individuals studied was formed by the mixing of the gene pools of people from the eastern regions of the Eurasian Steppe and populations of Western Eurasia. The Asian components are related to those of medieval groups of Mongols and Avars.

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