Social genomics and the roots of inequality in the Early Middle Ages: new perspectives from the GEMS project

The transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages (3 rd -8 th centuries CE) was a transformative period in European history, marked by climate instability, political and economical crises, and the arrival of new populations. Northern Italy, a strategic corridor linking Central Europe, the Po plain, and the Mediterranean, became a focal point of these transformations, involving Goths, Lombards, Avars, Byzantine troops, merchants, and slaves. While previous research has largely focused on elites through monumental burials, grave goods, and ancient DNA, the impact of these transitions on peasants, slaves, and the urban poor remains poorly understood. The Genomics of Early Medieval Societies (GEMS) project aims of generating a comprehensive bioarchaeological and genomic dataset to assess ancestry, kinship, diet, health, and living conditions across both privileged and unprivileged groups. The objective is to understand how the end of the Roman Empire and the settlement of foreign groups reshape local populations. By centering neglected lower classes, this study illuminates social structure, inequality, and genetic diversity, while expanding the genomic record for Early Medieval Northern Italy.