Stone Age forager’s journey revealed through DNA

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

A Stone Age forager turned to farming before being brutally sacrificed 5,000 years ago, reveals new research.

The skeleton recovered from a peat bog in Denmark, dating to between 3300 BC and 3100 BC, is known as "Vittrup Man."

The fragmented nature of the remains, including a smashed skull, suggested that he was killed in a ritualistic sacrifice, a common practice in the region at this time.

Now state of the art DNA, isotope and protein analysis has revealed Vittrup Man's genetic ancestry and movements before his violent death.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, shows that he was born along the Scandinavian coast before moving to Denmark, where he was later sacrificed.

After an initial DNA study found Vittrup Man’s genetic signature to be distinct from contemporary, local skeletons, an international research team, led by Dr Anders Fischer, were inspired to combine additional evidence to reconstruct his life history at an "unprecedented" resolution.

Dr. Fischer, of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said: "Strontium, carbon and oxygen isotopes from Vittrup Man’s tooth enamel indicate a childhood spent along the coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

"Corroborating this, genetic analysis found a close relationship between Vittrup Man and Mesolithic people from Norway and Sweden.

"Additional isotope and protein analysis of the teeth and bones indicate a shift in diet from coastal food - marine mammals and fish - in early life to farm food - including sheep or goat - in later life, a transition that happened in the later teen years.

"These results suggest that Vittrup Man spent his early years in a northern foraging society before relocating to a farming society in Denmark."

The researchers say it isn’t clear why he moved, though they suggest he might have been a trader or captive who became integrated into local society.

Dr. Fischer said: "Mysteries remain about Vittrup Man, but this detailed understanding of his geographic and dietary life history provides new insights into interactions between Mesolithic and Neolithic societies in Europe."

He added: “To our knowledge, this is the first time that research has been able to map a north European inhabitant’s life history in such a high degree of detail and in such high distance of time.”