Crusader armies were remarkably genetically diverse, study finds
Source: The Guardian
Crusader armies were remarkably genetically diverse, study finds
DNA research adds to evidence soldiers heading east struck up relationships with locals
Nicola Davis
Thu 18 Apr 2019 17.03 BST Last modified on Thu 18 Apr 2019 18.40 BST
Crusader armies were made up of people from remarkably genetically diverse backgrounds, hailing not just from western Europe but also much further east, according to a new study that gives unprecedented insight into the fighters’ lives.
The Crusades to the Holy Land were spread over two centuries, with many Europeans heading east to fight, and others turning up to trade.
While experts say it is well known that high-ranking crusaders entered into marriages with Armenians to shore up political allegiances, the study adds to evidence that footsoldiers were also striking up relationships as they headed east.
“Those were the regular normal people who are also mixing together, and their sons were joining the fight later on,” said Dr Marc Haber, author of the research from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge.
Dr Kathryn Hurlock of Manchester Metropolitan University, who was not involved in the study, said the findings were not a surprise to historians. “But the popular idea is certainly there was this east v west, Christian v Muslim dynamic with hard lines between the two,” she said.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/apr/18/crusader-armies-remarkably-genetically-diverse-study
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Related: A Transient Pulse of Genetic Admixture from the Crusaders in the Near East Identified from Ancient Genome Sequences (American Journal of Human Genetics)
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