Medieval mass burial shows centuries-earlier origin of Ashkenazi genetic bottleneck
Published Date: 8/30/2022
Source: phys.org
In 2004, construction workers in Norwich, U.K., unearthed human skeletal remains that led to a historical mystery—at least 17 bodies at the bottom of a medieval well. Using archaeological records, historical documents, and ancient DNA, British researchers have now identified the individuals to be a group of Ashkenazi Jews who may have fallen victim to antisemitic violence during the 12th century. Their findings, presented on August 30 in the journal Current Biology, shed new light on Jewish medical history in Europe.