LBK Farmers of Middle Neolithic Hungary

In the dawning light of the Middle Neolithic, communities labeled here as Hungary_MN_LBK participated in the wave of Neolithic lifeways known across Central Europe as the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) phenomenon. Archaeological sites sampled for genomic study include Szemely-Hegyes, Apc-Berekalya I, Bátaszék-Lajvér, Budakeszi Szőlőskert-Tangazdaság, Tolna-Mözs TO26, Bölcske-Gyűrűsvölgy, Alsónyék-Bátaszék site 11, Enese (Kóny Proletár-dülö site 2), Polgár-Ferenci hát M3-31, and Apc-Berekalya-1 (Heves County, Hatvan). Radiocarbon dates for the analyzed individuals span about four centuries (5307–4900 BCE), placing them in the core LBK horizon in Hungary.

Archaeological data indicates these people practiced mixed farming — cereal cultivation, animal husbandry, and pottery production with the characteristic LBK linear decoration. Settlement layouts, longhouses, and grave offerings from associated sites convey predictable social rhythms of household labor and seasonal cycles. Material culture ties them to farming communities that spread from the Balkans and Danube corridor into the Carpathian Basin.

Genetic and archaeological convergence suggests that many early Neolithic farmers in this region derived ancestry from Anatolian-derived farming groups who mixed to variable degrees with local foragers. However, interpretations remain cautious: the current dataset comprises 12 individuals, which is informative but still limited for resolving fine-scale demographic events across the entire landscape.

Genomic data from 12 individuals associated with Hungary_MN_LBK offer a window into the biological ancestry of Middle Neolithic farmers in the Carpathian Basin. Y-chromosome haplogroups in this sample are dominated by haplogroup G lineages (3 individuals), including a G2a (1), with additional occurrences of C (2) and H (1). These patterns align with broader Neolithic trends in Central Europe, where G and G2a are commonly observed among early farmer males and interpreted as markers of Anatolian-derived farming ancestry.

Mitochondrial DNA diversity in the sample includes several maternal lineages: K (4 individuals), N (1), T1a (1), H (1), and U2 (1). Haplogroup K and T1a are frequently associated with early European farmers, reinforcing archaeological evidence for Near Eastern-derived agricultural expansions. The presence of haplogroups N, H, and U2 points to either retained hunter-gatherer maternal contributions or later regional variation; however, low sample numbers, geographic clustering, and uneven preservation mean such interpretations must be cautious.

Population-genetic models integrating these genomes with wider datasets generally place LBK groups as predominantly descended from Anatolian farmer-related ancestry with varying degrees of local hunter-gatherer admixture. The detection of haplogroup C and H on the Y-chromosome — less typical in many LBK series — suggests either phylogeographic heterogeneity or potential input from neighboring groups. Given the sample count (12), conclusions about population structure and migration dynamics are provisional and benefit from continued sampling across more sites and time slices.