Genetic analysis has been undertaken on the left petrous of Rosemakie Man’s skull at the University of Huddersfield. We extracted and analysed his DNA under dedicated ancient DNA clean-room condition. High-throughput genomic sequencing allowed us to determine his maternal (mitochondrial genome) and paternal (Y-chromosome) lineages. His maternal lineage was J1b1a1a, which, although found at low frequency in Norway, is nowadays almost entirely restricted to the British Isles. His paternal lineage belongs to the R1b-L151 family, which is part of R1b, the most common male lineage in Europe today. We compared his nuclear genome with a worldwide dataset of ancient and modern populations, and he groups with other Iron Age individuals from Scotland, including the Knowe of Skea, Orkney (unpublished data). Further more detailed analyses are on-going.

Katharina Dulias and Ceiridwen J. Edwards

Archaeogenetics Research Group, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield.

(Katharina’s current address is: Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York).