Caves carved in rock. An isolated community. Secrets buried under centuries of dust, now unveiled by genetics. A mysterious medieval society surfaces anew.
Las Gobas, a small community in northern Spain, survived invasions and epidemics. How did these inhabitants overcome these trials, despite violence and diseases?
A recent study published in
Science Advances sequenced the DNA of several individuals from Las Gobas, a medieval Christian community in the province of Burgos. The findings reveal a society marked by endogamy, disease, and violence.
The people of Las Gobas lived in caves carved out of a rocky spur. Why choose such a location? Researchers dismiss the idea of a religious or ascetic choice, due to lack of evidence. Isolation seems to be key. Genetic analyses show that 61% of individuals exhibited signs of endogamy, a rare phenomenon for the era, suggesting a closed community. This practice led to low genetic diversity, especially among males.
The study also reveals traces of violence on several skeletons, including two related individuals from the 6th and 7th centuries. These injuries appear to have been inflicted by sword blows, reflecting a troubled, perhaps military, past.
That is not all. Analyses also detected the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, commonly found in pigs. This discovery suggests that pig farming played a central role in daily life. Even more surprising, the DNA of a 10th-century individual contained traces of smallpox, linked to Scandinavian and Russian strains. This detail raises the possibility that trade routes and pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela were vectors for the virus's spread.
Ultimately, the secrets of Las Gobas provide an unprecedented glimpse into rural life on the Iberian Peninsula in the early Middle Ages. A distinct society, balancing self-sufficiency and openness, whose daily challenges are now illuminated in a new light.
What is endogamy?
Endogamy refers to the practice of marrying or forming unions exclusively within the same community or social group.
In the case of Las Gobas, this practice led to low genetic diversity and strengthened familial ties, but it also increased vulnerability to certain diseases.
How did smallpox spread in the Middle Ages?
Smallpox, a highly contagious viral disease, spreads primarily through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or via the air. In the Middle Ages, trade, pilgrimages, and military conflicts facilitated the virus's diffusion throughout Europe and to rural communities like Las Gobas.
Article author: Cédric DEPOND