Investigating Ancient DNA of Antique Population

Workshop and Empirical Study

The archaeological site of Thugga (nowadays called Dougga) is located in North-Western Tunisia. The city of Dougga preserves four millennia of history. It is a distinguished cultural heritage site that presents itself as an open-air museum featuring perfectly preserved ruins and inscriptions. In an interdisciplinary workshop, researchers and stakeholders discuss approaches to elucidate the history of the antique city of Dougga. Their applied methods inculde architectural, archaeozoological, anthropological, ceramic, epigraphic, and numismatic analyses as well as the study of funeral practices.

Members of the AGYA Working Group Common Heritage and Common Challenges add a fresh perspective to the research on the archeological site of Dougga by investigating ancient DNA samples to determine the genetic fingerprints and relations of individuals inhumed in the same burials. They identify the genetic composition of the antique population and its potential origin.