The migration of Slavic peoples, beginning in the 6th century CE, significantly transformed the cultural and genetic landscape of Central and Eastern Europe. Recent genetic analyses of medieval human remains have provided new insights into these large-scale movements and the diverse communities that emerged from them. An international team of researchers from Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechia, and Croatia, led by the HistoGenes consortium, has conducted the first comprehensive ancient DNA study focused on medieval Slavic populations.
Excavation at the pre-Slavic cemetery of Brücken in the Saxony-Anhalt district in 2020 marked the beginning of this vital research. By sequencing over 550 ancient genomes, the study reveals that the origins of the Slavs can be traced to a geographic region stretching from southern Belarus to central Ukraine. This finding aligns with long-held linguistic and archaeological theories regarding Slavic ancestry. As Joscha Gretzinger, a geneticist from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, noted, the genetic evidence points to a significant migration pattern that reshaped regions like Eastern Germany and Poland.
The migration of these groups did not follow the typical model of conquest. Instead of large armies, the Slavs formed flexible communities based on extended families and patrilineal kinship. The societal structures varied significantly across regions. For example, in Eastern Germany, the arrival of Slavic groups led to extensive kinship networks, contrasting with the less disruptive integration seen in parts of Croatia. Here, new and old traditions often coexisted, demonstrating the adaptability of Slavic migrants to local contexts.
“Rather than a single people moving as one, the Slavic expansion was a mosaic of different groups,” explained Zuzana Hofmanová from the MPI EVA and Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia. “Each adapted and blended in its own way, suggesting there was never just one ‘Slavic’ identity, but many.”
Interestingly, the genetic findings show no significant sex bias in these migrations, indicating that entire families migrated together. This balanced demographic shift is crucial for understanding how these communities integrated and evolved over time. The genetic data reveal that, following the decline of the Thuringian kingdom, more than 85 percent of the ancestry in Eastern Germany can be attributed to new arrivals from the East, marking a dramatic shift from the preceding Migration Period.
In Poland, the research challenges earlier beliefs about long-term population continuity. Genetic results indicate that from the 6th to the 7th centuries CE, the region’s earlier inhabitants, who had strong ties to Northern Europe and Scandinavia, were largely replaced by newcomers from the East. This conclusion is supported by archaeological evidence from some of the earliest known Slavic graves in Poland, specifically at the Gródek site.
The Northern Balkans illustrate a different pattern, where Eastern European migrants mixed with local populations, resulting in hybrid communities that preserved aspects of their ancestral heritage. Ancestral analyses from ancient DNA in Croatia show a significant influx of Eastern European-related ancestry, but not a complete genetic replacement. The Velim burial site highlights this mixture, demonstrating that the Slavic migration was characterized by intermarriage and adaptation rather than conquest.
Additionally, a separate study published in Genome Biology has revealed similar demographic shifts in Southern Moravia, Czechia. It links changes in material culture to migrations originating in present-day Ukraine. The findings suggest that the Slavic migration was a gradual process of cultural integration rather than a sudden takeover.
The research underscores a model of social organization that diverges from traditional conquest narratives. As Walter Pohl, a senior author of the study, noted, the Slavic migration exemplifies a “demic diffusion or grassroots movement” where small groups settled new territories without imposing rigid identity structures. Their success can be attributed to a pragmatic and egalitarian lifestyle that allowed them to thrive amid the decline of the Roman world.
The genetic evidence supports a narrative of shared ancestry across Slavic populations, yet highlights regional differences shaped by interactions with local communities. In northern areas, earlier Germanic peoples had largely vacated, while in southern regions, Eastern European newcomers integrated with established societies.
Ultimately, the spread of the Slavs represents a pivotal demographic event that reshaped Europe’s genetic and linguistic landscape. As Johannes Krause, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, stated, the findings reveal a critical chapter in Europe’s history, emphasizing the ongoing influence of Slavic migrations on contemporary languages, cultures, and genetics across the continent.
