Svirkina Natalia Gennadievna

Introduction. The limited quantity of Phanagorian burial complexes from the Classical period, examined by contemporary scientific methods, stands in stark contrast to the abundant resources from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. This distinction imparts significant importance to the burial complexes of Phanagoria from the 4th century BC, particularly those featuring notable archaeological artefacts and well-preserved anthropological materials.

Materials and methods. Materials from two graves found beneath mound 288 in the Alley of Mounds on the Southern Necropolis of the Asian Bosporus metropolis were the subject of the study. They were analysed using isotopic and paleogenetic (genomic sequencing, principal component analysis, admixture, and f3 statistics) methods.

Results. A radiocarbon date was obtained for one sample, allowing comparison with the archaeological date. The results of paleogenomics studies indicated that women buried under the same mound had a second-degree maternal relationship. For the first time, we identify the presence of descendants of Mediterranean immigrants among the Phanagoria polis's population based on resources from the Northern Black Sea region of the Classical era.

Discussion. According to the results of the aDNA study, we for the first time demonstrated the presence of Greek immigrants (or their descendants) among Phanagoria's population of the Classical period. Moreover, we provided evidence of their admixture with the autochthonous "barbarian" populations.

Funding. This work was supported by a grant from the state program "Sirius" Federal Territory "Scientific and Technological Development of the Sirius; Federal Territory", Agreement № 18-03 dated September 10th, 2024 (G.M.S., M.A.D., R.EV.)

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