Ancient DNA from the bones of Iron Age Iberians shows that these people held onto their genetic roots despite centuries of Greek, Phoenician, and Carthaginian influence along the Mediterranean coast.
A study published in iScience traced genetic changes across northeastern Spain from 775 BC to 50 CE, marking the first time researchers have systematically analyzed Iberian communities from the early Iron Age all the way through Roman conquest.
Daniel R. Cuesta-Aguirre of the Faculty of Biosciences at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona led the research. Because Iberian adults were cremated, their remains left no usable DNA.
Researchers instead turned to newborn burials found beneath house floors and work areas at three sites: the Vilars fortress, Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola, and El Camp de les Lloses. Of 54 newborns examined, 22 yielded genome-wide data, and nine more contributed mitochondrial markers.
From fortress to Roman hub: three windows into the Iberian past
The three sites covered distinct phases of Iberian history. The Vilars fortress, home to the Ilergetae tribe, was occupied from the 8th to the 3rd century BC and captured the shift from pre-Iberian to full Iberian culture.
Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola, linked to the Cessetani tribe and active from the 4th to the 2nd century BC, reflected an established community with active trade connections.
El Camp de les Lloses, tied to the Ausetani tribe and dated from the late 2nd century BC to the 1st century CE, documented the period of growing Roman presence.
Genetic analysis placed most individuals from the Vilars fortress and Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola firmly within the local Bronze Age population. Their ancestry combined Western Hunter-Gatherers, Anatolian Neolithic farmers, and Steppe-related groups.
Steppe-related ancestry was somewhat higher in Iron Age individuals than in earlier Bronze Age populations from the same region, suggesting gradual internal shifts rather than large outside migrations.
Iberian DNA and Greek and Mediterranean influence
The DNA record of Iberians showed only limited traces of Greek and other Mediterranean genetic influence before Roman arrival. A few individuals carried ancestry linked to North Africa or southwestern Asia, but these were not widespread.
One newborn at Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola had a maternal lineage associated with North Africa. Researchers interpreted this as possibly reflecting a child born to a local parent and someone with Punic or Carthaginian ancestry, consistent with the large amounts of Punic pottery recovered at the same site.
The study also settled a long-standing archaeological debate. Two newborns at Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola, OLE04 and OLE06, were buried with their legs intermingled and no sediment between them, leading earlier researchers to believe they were twins.
DNA analysis proved they were completely unrelated and even carried different maternal haplogroups.
Roman military activity brought new genes to Iberian settlements
At El Camp de les Lloses, the pattern shifted noticeably. Five of the nine individuals showed clear genetic differences from earlier Iberian populations, carrying North African or Iranian Neolithic ancestry absent in previous generations.
Researchers connected this directly to Roman military and commercial activity, as the site served as a logistical hub tied to Roman infrastructure.
Taken together, the results point to a population that stayed genetically stable for centuries before Roman expansion fundamentally reshaped its makeup.
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