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The Hun Family Tree

5 hours ago

"Attila and his Hordes Overrun Italy and the Arts" by Eugène Delacroix (1843-1847)

Post Author - Ellis Nolan

Under the infamous King Attila, the Huns were a nomadic people who ravaged the waning Roman Empire during the fifth century. Their pillaging prowess is the stuff of legend, however, where these people came from remains an anthropological mystery. In a recent study, a group of researchers aims to clear some of the fog surrounding their origins.

Previously, scientists believed the etymology of the name “Hun” derived from the Chinese “Xiongnu,” another nomadic group descended from the mountain regions of Central Asia. The only problem is that the two groups are separated by about 300 years, and until recently, archaeological evidence was insufficient to link the two groups.

Map of burial sites used in the study

In a new study, researchers examined a few hundred Hun graves and the DNA of skeletons buried between 1600 and 1500 years ago. As it turns out, multiple Hun specimens had DNA that matched that of their would-be Xiongnu ancestors. However, this group was the vast minority, which led scientists to believe the Huns did not come about from a mass Xiongnu migration.

Rather, the researchers suspect that following the fall of the Xiongnu in 100 CE, some members forged West towards Rome, exiled or in search of better circumstances. Furthermore, it still remains unclear whether these Huns saw themselves as Xiongnu at all, since their burial sites lack the adornments of the Xiongnu elite they descended from.

The researchers stress that the journey of the Xiongnu migrants would have been a perilous one, traveling thousands of miles in unfamiliar territory, many likely perishing in the process. Did Attila himself descend from this brave bunch? Scientists say it’s unlikely, but it’s not as though the Huns were a homogenous group, as this study reveals. As the saying might go, it takes a village to defeat the Roman empire.