DNA suggests Picts were residents, not immigrants
An article in Exploresweb referenced a DNA study of two Picts’ and concluded that contrary to popular opinions, the Picts were most likely Iron Age residents in northern England, not immigrants from continental Europe. Picts history (Wikipedia) is fascinating as is most prehistorical research that relies on either physical artifacts, oral history or much later written tales by conquerors.
This Pict DNA study is starting a different history lesson.
The Picts, like druids, surface in Roman times and were definitely a pain in the roman arse, as the Exploresweb concludes.
Rome’s inability to bring the Picts and Scots to heel resulted in the famous loss of the 9th Legion and later, the building of Hadrian’s Wall.
https://explorersweb.com/dna-evidence-picts/
From the DNA study, concluding that Picts were ‘residents’ and not travelers from continental Europe as historically considered, opens up parallels to the search for druids … not that Picts and druids are same! History has to date taken convenient, easy characterization based on much later authors (centuries later). Prehistory among the British islands remains clouded and manipulated to fit the conqueror or enemy’s political narrative.
Key phrase from the DNA study abstract.
To date, no comprehensive analysis of Pictish genomes has been published, and questions about their biological relationships to other cultural groups living in Britain remain unanswered. Here we present two high-quality Pictish genomes (2.4 and 16.5X coverage) from central and northern Scotland dated from the 5th-7th century which we impute and co-analyse with >8,300 previously published ancient and modern genomes. Using allele frequency and haplotype-based approaches, we can firmly place the genomes within the Iron Age gene pool in Britain and demonstrate regional biological affinity. We also demonstrate the presence of population structure within Pictish groups, with Orcadian Picts being genetically distinct from their mainland contemporaries.
https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1010360
In the author summary, they also highlight an inference about the exchange of females between groups – they then challenge the assumption (without any substantiation in my opinion) that the Picts were not matrilineal (because females traveled between groups?).
Our results demonstrate a proportionally higher degree of haplotype sharing, and thus genetic affinity, between the Pictish genomes and individuals from western Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Northumbria. We also detected genetic structure in Scotland during the Iron Age, likely driven by the combination of genetic drift and small population size, which we also detect in present-day Orcadians. Lastly, the seven mitochondrial DNA from the Lundin Links cemetery showed that these individuals had no direct maternal ancestors which could suggest exchanges of people, or at least females, between groups during the Pictish period, challenging older ideas that the Picts were a matrilineal society.
https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1010360
No material clue for the druid search, but another confirmation of the confused and poorly substantiated prehistory period from Iron Age backwards. DNA studies like this help change opinions and tell a different history lesson.
Featured photo from Wikipedia.