🇸🇮 Slavic-era ancestry arrived late in Slovenia

Ancient DNA from 410 people across 21 sites shows strong genetic continuity from the Late Roman towns into Late Antiquity hilltop communities; about three-quarters of individuals in Late Antiquity can be modeled as descending from local Late Roman groups. A few Ostrogothic-period lowland burials carry Central Asian ancestry (some individuals 7–76%), but this left little lasting impact.

The real shift comes after ~750–950 CE: new rural cemeteries show a marked rise of northeastern European (Baltic-like) ancestry linked to the Slavic expansions, with most individuals at key sites best explained by those sources. Western Slovenia near Italy keeps local continuity longer than the east.

Takeaway: Post-Roman cultural change did not equal population replacement; the major demographic turnover arrives only in the 8th–9th centuries, bringing northeastern European/Slavic ancestry into the region.

Source: Vyas et al., 2025. The shifting dynamics of ancestry and culture at a post-Roman crossroads.