Scandinavia's first farmers slaughtered hunter-gatherer population, DNA suggests

A recent study suggests that Scandinavia's first farmers may have slaughtered the existing hunter-gatherer population, rather than displacing them peacefully. The study used DNA analysis to examine the genetic legacy of Scandinavia's early farming communities. The researchers found that the farming population was genetically distinct from the hunter-gatherer population, indicating that they were not simply absorbing the hunter-gatherer population. In fact, the farming population was found to have a high frequency of genetic markers associated with the Y chromosome, which is often linked to male violence. This suggests that the farming population may have had a more aggressive relationship with the hunter-gatherers, potentially leading to their slaughter. The study's findings are based on the analysis of DNA from 34 modern-day Scandinavians, as well as ancient DNA from the Viking Age and the Iron Age. The research was published in the journal Science.