Genomes from a medieval mass burial show Ashkenazi-associated hereditary diseases pre-date the 12th century

We report genome sequence data from six individuals excavated from the base of a medieval well at a site in Norwich, UK. A revised radiocarbon analysis of the assemblage is consistent with these individuals being part of a historically attested episode of antisemitic violence on 6 February 1190 CE. We find that four of these individuals were closely related and all six have strong genetic affinities with modem Ashkenazi Jews. We identify four alleles associated with genetic disease in Ashkenazi Jewish populations and infer variation in pigmentation traits, including the presence of red hair. Simulations indicate that Ashkenazi-associated genetic disease alleles were already at appreciable frequencies, centuries earlier than previously hypothesized. These findings provide new insights into a significant historical crime, into Ashkenazi population history, and into the origins of genetic diseases associated with modern Jewish populations.

Automated summary

The genome sequences of six individuals excavated from a medieval well in Norwich, UK, reveal that four individuals were closely related and all six had strong genetic affinities with modem Ashkenazi Jews. The findings provide new insights into a historically significant crime, Ashkenazi population history, and the origins of genetic diseases associated with modern Jewish populations.