HistoGenes in the Media
November 2025 | Le Mond
Dans le melting-pot médiéval
Patrick J. Geary published a book detailing the advantages and disadvantages of using biological data for historical analysis. This review was published by the French newspaper Le Mond.
Visit publications to see the book (it will be available for open access soon) or click the link to read the review (in French): https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2025/11/30/comment-la-genetique-reecrit-l-histoire-du-moyen-age-de-patrick-j-geary-dans-le-melting-pot-medieval_6655441_3260.html
September 2025 | Ö1 Mittagsjournal
Slawische Migration
HistoGenes' recent Nature publication sheds some light on the Slavs' migration and was discussed in a number of news outlets. The Austrian Public Broadcasting Service published a radio interview with PI Walter Pohl, discussing the research and its implications.
Listen to the recording (in German): https://oe1.orf.at/programm/20250904/806718/Slawische-Migration-Migraenetherapie
AND
Read the open access article: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09437-6
February 2025 | Spiegel
Kamen die Hunnen doch nicht aus Asien?
The most recent HistoGenes publication sheds some light on the Huns. In this article the author summarizes the findings, thereby opening the subject to a much wider audience. He highlights how the low ammount of East-Asian DNA indicates a prolonged migration and therefore complex admixture of DNA.
See: https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/herkunft-der-hunnen-kamen-die-reiterkrieger-nicht-aus-asien-a-4b785088-5cb7-45d0-9a1a-6515a99119f7 for the full article (in German).
February 2025 | ERC Website "Projects and statistics"
Decoding Europe’s genetic puzzle
In an effort to introduce different ERC projects to the public, the ERC website regularly publishes articles about its funded projects. A recent one talked about the HistoGenes research questions and how the team aims to influence discourse about identity and origin in early medieval communities through a transdisciplinary approach.
See: https://erc.europa.eu/projects-statistics/science-stories/decoding-europes-genetic-puzzle
for the full article.
January 2025 | Der Standard
Mödling und Leobersdorf schlafen nicht miteinander: Was die Gräber der Awaren verraten
The author summarizes the findings from the January 2025 Nature article "Ancient DNA reveals reproductive barrier despite shared Avar-period culture" and complements those findings with some quotes by HistoGenes researchers.
Der Standard 15.01.2025 for the full article: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000243641/moedling-und-leobersdorf-schlafen-nicht-miteinander-was-die-graeber-der-awaren-verraten (in German)
October 2024 | Der Standard
DNA-Analysen stellen Wissen über Völkerwanderung in Frage
This article summarizes the project methodology of incorporating different disciplines to answer questions about migration and identity, while addressing the dangers of a (solely) genetics-based-identity conception in the modern world.
Der Standard for the full article 16.10.2024: https://www.derstandard.de/story/3000000240374/dna-analysen-stellen-wissen-ueber-voelkerwanderung-in-frage (in German)
May 2024 | Byzantium & Friends
Podcast episode: Human paleontogenetics and late antique migration: a cross discipline discussion
In a recent episode of Byzantium & Friends moderated by Anthony Kaldellis, Patrick Geary, Janet Kay, István Koncz and Krishna Veeramah discussed the projects methods and their respective disciplines abilities to complement eacht others weakspots.
Byzantium & Friends (for free) full episode: https://byzantiumandfriends.podbean.com/e/117-human-paleogenetics-and-late-antique-migration-a-cross-discipline-discussion/
February 2022 | Austrian Academy of Sciences
Walter Pohl about HistoGenes
In this short portrait cPI Walter Pohl talks about the research on identity, migration, integration and acculturation of people in the distant past, and what makes the HistoGenes project so unique (in German).
Interview on 10 November 2021 | University of Turin
Identity, Ethnicity and Historical Genetics
In a short interview at the University of Turin, Patrick J. Geary talks about medieval history and its relationship to the present, and what we can learn about society from genetics.
27 February, 2020
There is no national DNA
Genes and History
german Podcast Deutschlandfunk Kultur
For the full episode: https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/gene-und-geschichte-es-gibt-keine-nationale-dna.976.de.html?dram:article_id=471253
From Volkart Wildermuth
"Süddeutsche Zeitung": Ost- und Westdeutschland: Unterschiede im Erbgut (5.9.2025)
"Origo": Kiderülhetett, kik voltak, és honnan érkeztek a szlávok ősei (07.09.2025)
"Playtech": ADN-ul antic confirmă migrații masive legate de răspândirea slavilor în Europa. Ce au descoperit cercetătorii (05.09.2025)
"Infobae": Cómo la genética logró descifrar el origen y la expansión eslava en Europa Central y Oriental (04.09.2025)
"Ceske Noviny": Společný původ Slovanů je mezi Běloruskem a Ukrajinou, tvrdí analýza DNA (03.09.2025)
"Archeologia Zywa": Zagadka pochodzenia Słowian rozwiązana? Genetyka wskazuje na wędrówkę ludów (04.09.2025)
"Kapunkimedia Aamuset": Muinais-DNA-tutkimus valottaa slaavien alkuperää ja vaikutusta Euroopan geenipooliin (04.09.2025)
"Science Mag": Slavic Migration: Transforming the Landscape of Central and Eastern Europe (03.09.2025)
"Der Standard": Skelettanalysen zeigen, wie die Slawen unauffällig zur einflussreichsten Massenbewegung Europas wurden (04.09.2025)
"Focus Online": Umstrittenes Rätsel gelöst. Sagenumwobenes Reitervolk: Genanalyse enthüllt die wahre Herkunft der Hunnen (02.03.2025)
"MDR": Masse der Hunnen waren genetisch Europäer (24.02.2025)
"Die Presse": Woher kamen die Hunnen? Altes Rätsel überraschend gelöst (24.02.2025)
"DerStandard": Woher stammten die Hunnen? Neue Analyse liefert überraschendes Ergebnis (25.02.2025)
"Science.Orf": Hunnen stammten nur zum Teil aus Mongolei (25.02.2025)
"NOE ORF": Woher Leobersdorf asiatische Wurzeln hat (16.01.2025)
"Science.apa" Niederösterreich: Alte DNA aus der Awarenzeit erzählt von gelungener kultureller Integration trotz genetischer Unterschiede (15.01.2025)
"Naturhistorisches Museum": Niederösterreich: Alte DNA aus der Awarenzeit erzählt von gelungener kultureller Integration trotz genetischer Unterschiede (15.01.2025)
"Valasz Online": Avar-magyar rokonságot nem, izgalmas családfákat felfedeztek magyar kutatók (Podcast in Hungarian, 21.11.2024)
"The Conversation": Ancient nomads you’ve probably never heard of disappeared from Europe 1,000 years ago. Now, DNA analysis reveals how they lived (25.4.2024)
"Nature": Ancient DNA traces family lines and political shifts in the Avar empire (24.4.2024)
"CNN Online": Sex and marriage patterns in an ancient empire revealed by DNA (24.4.2024)
"ORF Online": Awaren hatten komplexe Beziehungen (24.4.2024)
"DerStandard": Warum die Frauen der Awaren oft mit mehreren Brüdern Kinder bekamen (24.04.2024)
"HUN-REN Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont": Penna – az élő bölcsészet magazinja (9. rész) [Penna - A magazine of living Humanities ep. 9] (20.12.2022)
"La Stampa": Dalla Mongolia a Costantinopoli: l’archeogenetica risolve il mistero degli Avari (27.04.2022)
"DerStandard": Genetische Analysen lösen Rätsel um Herkunft der Awaren (06.04.2022)
"Science": Mystery warriors made the fastest migration in ancient history (01.04.2022)
"DerStandard": Tausende Grabfunde sollen die "dunklen Jahrhunderte" erhellen (22.02.2020)
"Die Furche": Die DNA lügt niemals (20.02.2020)
"APA Science": 6.000 Grabfunde sollen "dunkle" Völkerwanderungs-Zeit beleuchten (18.02.2020)
"Wiener Zeitung": Forscher beleuchten die "dunklen Jahrhunderte" der Völkerwanderung (18.02.2020)
"Die Presse": Woher kamen die Völker bei der Völkerwanderung? (18.02.2020)
"Radio Ö1": Wissen aktuell (18.02.2020, 7 Tage online)
"ORF Online": Völkerwanderungen: Wer kam, wer blieb in Europa? (18.02.2020)