DNA Analysis of Ancient Rome Reveals a Cosmopolitan Megacity

Roman citizens came from Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa and beyond. The ancient metropolis was a bone fide melting pot.

By Leslie Nemo
Nov 7, 2019 10:15 PMNov 19, 2019 3:42 PM
Roman Forums
The Roman Forums, seen today. (Credit: leoks/Shutterstock)

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A new collection of DNA from ancient Romans spanning 12,000 years shows how the population of the empire’s capital shifted along with its politics. Published in Science, the timeline is one of the first to examine what genetic information from archaeological digs says about the region after the time of hunter-gatherers and early farmers.

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