Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy.
Ann Hum Biol. 2021 May;48(3):247-259. doi: 10.1080/03014460.2021.1937699.
Phoenician and Punic expansions have been protagonists of intense trade networks and settlements in the Mediterranean Sea.
The maternal genetic variability of ancient Punic samples from the Sardinian necropolis of Tharros was analysed, with the aim to explore genetic interactions and signatures of past population events.
The mtDNA HVS-I and coding region SNPs were analysed in 14 Punic samples and 74 modern individuals from Cabras and Belvì (for which the HVS-II region was also analysed). The results were compared with 5,590 modern Euro-Mediterranean sequences and 127 ancient samples.
While contemporary groups fall within the genetic variability of other modern Sardinians, our Punic samples reveal proximity to present-day North-African and Iberian populations. Furthermore, Cabras and Belvì cluster mainly with pre-Phoenician groups, while samples from Tharros project with other Punic Sardinian individuals.
This study provides the first preliminary insights into the population dynamics of the Punic site of Tharros. While the number of currently available samples does not allow definitive investigation of the connection with indigenous Sardinian groups, our results seem to confirm internal migratory phenomena in the central-western Mediterranean and female participation in the Punic mobility.
腓尼基人和布匿人在扩张过程中在地中海地区建立了密集的贸易网络和定居点。
分析撒丁岛 Tharros 墓地古布匿样本的母系遗传变异性，旨在探索过去人口事件的遗传相互作用和特征。
分析了 14 个布匿样本和来自 Cabras 和 Belvì 的 74 个现代个体的 mtDNA HVS-I 和编码区 SNPs（后者还分析了 HVS-II 区域）。结果与 5590 个现代欧洲-地中海序列和 127 个古代样本进行了比较。
尽管当代群体的遗传变异性与其他现代撒丁岛人相似，但我们的布匿样本与当今北非和伊比利亚人口接近。此外，Cabras 和 Belvì 主要与前腓尼基群体聚类，而来自 Tharros 的样本则与其他撒丁岛布匿人聚类。
本研究首次初步了解 Tharros 布匿遗址的人口动态。虽然目前可用的样本数量不足以对与撒丁岛本地群体的联系进行明确调查，但我们的结果似乎证实了中西部地中海地区的内部迁移现象以及女性在布匿人迁移中的参与。
