New discoveries from ancient DNA research have lifted the lid on social life and marriage patterns in the ancient kingdom of the Avar tribe.
Through careful DNA analysis of remains found in ancient graves in Hungary, researchers were able to detail the family history of the Avar tribe over a period of 2.5 centuries.
The research results surprised Zsófia Rácz, a researcher from the Institute of Archaeological Sciences of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary.
“We found an interesting fact that the people in these graves were related to each other,” he said.
DNA analysis revealed interesting marriage patterns among the Avars, with men tending to remain in their communities following marriage, while women often married outside the community.
Apart from that, the research also revealed that the practice of polygamy was common among the Avars.
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“We found polygamy was common among men, with some of them having more than one partner,” explains Rácz.
Another interesting finding is the multiple cases of individuals having close relationships with the same partner, highlighting the complexity of family and marital relationships in the Avar community.
This research also emphasizes the importance of oral heritage in preserving family genealogies. Although there are no signs of interbreeding between close relatives, genetic traces suggest the Avar community paid close attention to their family trees.
Thus, this research provides deep insight into social life and marriage patterns in the ancient kingdom of the Avar tribe.
These discoveries are not just regarding exploring the past, but also regarding uncovering long-forgotten human history. (CNN/Z-3)
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