Record

Sample details

Recorded details and available lineage markers.

Individual

Chalcolithic individual, Spain

Sample ID: atp12-1420

Date Range

3011 BCE - 2881 BCE

Cultural Period

The Chalcolithic Period

Biological Sex

Male

mtDNA Haplogroup

Not available

Y-DNA Haplogroup

Not available

Social Role

Pastoralist (AI estimate, era-typical)

Geography

Location

Where this individual was discovered

Country Spain

Locality Atapuerca. El Portalón

A location map is not available for this record.

Chronology

Date range

When this individual lived in the broader context of human history

Chalcolithic individual, Spain 3011 BCE - 2881 BCE

Context

Historical context

Background information associated with the reference record.

Overview

The Chalcolithic (“Copper–Stone Age”) represents a broad prehistoric phase in which copper-working begins to appear alongside long-standing stone-based technologies. It is defined less by a single culture than by shared trends in metal use and social change.

Region & Environment

The Chalcolithic is not uniform in time or character across regions. It is documented from river valleys and fertile plains to steppe margins and mountain foothills, where agriculture supported growing settlements and where copper sources (and trade routes to them) shaped regional development.

Historical Context

In many areas, the Chalcolithic follows long Neolithic lifeways and precedes later Bronze Age developments. Communities increasingly produced and circulated valued raw materials and finished goods, while some regions also show intensifying craft specialization, larger or more defensible settlements, and more elaborate mortuary practices.

Populations & Lifeways

Populations were typically sedentary agriculturalists, alongside pastoralists and mixed subsistence strategies in ecologically varied zones. Daily life centered on farming, herding, and household craft production, with specialized activities emerging where metalworking and durable craft goods were significant.

Archaeology & Material Culture

Chalcolithic assemblages commonly include:

evidence for copper/bronze or metalworking (ore processing residues, smelting related finds, or metal objects, depending on the region)
continuing use of stone tools and polished stone implements
pottery styles that vary by locality, often accompanied by decoration and vessel standardization
distinctive personal ornaments and prestige items, reflecting exchange and social differentiation

Culture & Society

Differences in settlement size, architecture (where preserved), and burial treatment suggest changing social organization. Craft knowledge related to metallurgy and the management of valuables likely played roles in local hierarchies and inter-community contacts.

Legacy & Transition

Where the Chalcolithic is best documented, it forms a bridge to later Bronze Age societies: experimentation with metals, technologies for acquiring raw materials, and networks for distributing prestige goods helped set conditions for more intensive metallurgy, larger-scale production, and complex political and economic systems.

Analysis

Genetic comparisons

These comparisons show genetic similarity, not identity or origin. The populations listed are those whose genomes show statistical alignment to this ancient individual.

Similarity reflects shared history, not shared identity. These are analytical comparisons, not claims about who this person was.

Modern Genetic Admixture

This analysis compares the DNA profile with present-day reference populations, showing statistical similarity to modern reference populations from different regions. The excavation site records where this individual was found, not a fixed modern genetic identity.

Europe 97.7%

Southern European 95.6%

Iberian 63.8%

Sardinian 29.8%

Italian 1.9%

Northwestern European 2.1%

Africa 1.5%

North African 1.5%

Asia 0.5%

Chinese & Southeast Asian 0.5%

Chinese 0.5%

Closest Modern Populations

These are the modern populations showing the closest statistical alignment to A man buried in Spain in the era, ranked by genetic distance. Lower distance values indicate closer statistical similarity. Cross-region similarity can reflect shared ancestry, population movement, continuity, or later admixture.

1

Sardinian

3.3040

2

French Corsica

5.4360

3

Spanish La Rioja

5.5180

4

Spanish Castilla La Mancha

5.8239

5

Spanish Castello

5.8829

6

Spanish Pirineu

5.9039

7

Spanish Aragon

5.9353

8

Spanish Menorca

5.9527

9

Spanish Cantabria

5.9600

10

Spanish Navarra

5.9656

Context

Related Samples

This individual exists within a broader network of ancient samples. No ancient genome stands alone.

Search related samples

Individual	Culture/Period	Date	Location	Action
Iberian Chalcolithic individual, Spain	Chalcolithic Spain	3265 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberian Chalcolithic individual, Spain	Chalcolithic Spain	2900 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Western European Neolithic individual, Spain	Early Neolithic Spain	5299 BCE	Andalusia. Murciélagos de Zuheros, Spain	View
Iberian Chalcolithic individual, Spain	Chalcolithic Spain	3011 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberian individual, Spain	Bronze Age Spain	1600 BCE	La Rioja. Cueva de los Lagos, Spain	View
Iberian Chalcolithic individual, Spain	Chalcolithic Spain	3336 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Prehistoric Iberian individual, Spain	Late Neolithic Spain	3765 BCE	Andalusia. Cueva de los Cuarenta, Spain	View
Iberian individual, Spain	Bronze Age Spain	2100 BCE	Andalusia. Priego de Córdoba, Spain	View
Prehistoric Iberian individual, Spain	Late Neolithic Spain	3779 BCE	Basque country. San Quílez, Spain	View
Iberian Chalcolithic individual, Spain	Chalcolithic Spain	3096 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Western European Neolithic individual, Spain	Early Neolithic Spain	5214 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberia Ca individual, Spain		2900 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberia En individual, Spain		5214 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberia Ca individual, Spain		3265 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Chalcolithic individual, Spain		3011 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberia Ln individual, Spain		3765 BCE	Andalusia. Cueva de los Cuarenta, Spain	View
Iberia Ba individual, Spain		1600 BCE	La Rioja. Cueva de los Lagos, Spain	View
Iberia N individual, Spain		5299 BCE	Andalusia. Murciélagos de Zuheros, Spain	View
Iberia Ia individual, Spain		2100 BCE	Andalusia. Priego de Córdoba, Spain	View
Iberia Ca individual, Spain		3336 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberia Ca individual, Spain		3096 BCE	Atapuerca. El Portalón, Spain	View
Iberia Ln individual, Spain		3779 BCE	Basque country. San Quílez, Spain	View

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