Reference library / Sample profile

A man buried in Italy in the Early Bronze Age era

Explore the recorded context, genetic comparisons and research behind this reference sample.

ItalyItaly Sardinia EBA Nuragic

A reference profile describes this sample. It does not establish a personal or family relationship.

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Record

Sample details

Recorded details and available lineage markers.

Individual

Sardinia EBA Nuragic individual, Italy

Sample ID: ISC001

Date Range

2297 BCE - 2139 BCE

Cultural Period

Italy Sardinia EBA Nuragic

Biological Sex

Male

mtDNA Haplogroup

T2b3

Y-DNA Haplogroup

I-S10631

Social Role

Pastoralist (AI estimate, era-typical)

Geography

Location

Where this individual was discovered

Country Italy

Locality Sardinia. Usini. SS. S’Iscia ‘e sas Piras

Coordinates 40.6634, 8.5386

Chronology

Date range

When this individual lived in the broader context of human history

Sardinia EBA Nuragic individual, Italy 2297 BCE - 2139 BCE

Context

Historical context

Background information associated with the reference record.

The Early Nuragic period (c. 1800–1500 BCE) is a key phase in the long-term development of Sardinian Bronze Age societies. Archaeology indicates growing local coherence in styles and practices, alongside the continued relevance of maritime contact networks that helped circulate technologies and materials.

Region & Environment

Sardinia’s interior highlands and pasture systems encouraged herding, while more productive coastal and valley areas supported cultivation. This environmental mosaic supported dispersed communities linked by movement of people, livestock, and goods across varied terrain.

Historical Context

Early Nuragic developments unfolded during the wider Early-to-Middle Bronze Age transformation of the western Mediterranean. Although Sardinia’s internal cultural trajectory is central, the presence of metal technologies and certain artifact traditions suggests that exchange and interaction beyond the island remained significant.

Populations & Lifeways

Communities relied on mixed farming and herding, with household production supporting everyday needs. The emergence and spread of Nuragic-style practices imply increasing investment in particular activities and places, while craft specialization—especially in metal and durable objects—likely varied by region.

Archaeology & Material Culture

Material culture for this phase includes pottery and other domestic assemblages, as well as metal objects that reflect Bronze Age craft capabilities. Nuragic-associated trajectories appear in the way sites and features are organized, though the precise chronology and extent of monument use can differ across areas. Overall, artifact styles and site evidence help define this phase as more than a continuation of earlier traditions.

Culture & Society

The Early Nuragic phase suggests strengthening cultural markers and shared practices across Sardinia. Distinctive artifact preferences and site organization point to community identities expressed through material habits, including the distribution and use of durable goods.

Legacy & Transition

Early Nuragic traditions contributed to later Nuragic phases, where monumentality and regional networks became more pronounced. By the end of this era, changes in settlement organization and assemblages show continuity with earlier lifeways while moving toward more developed Nuragic cultural expressions.

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 90.5%

Southern European 90.5%

Sardinian 68.5%

Italian 22.0%

Africa 8.4%

North African 8.4%

Asia 1.1%

Arab, Egyptian & Levantine 1.1%

Arabian 1.1%

Closest Modern Populations

These are the modern populations showing the closest statistical alignment to A man buried in Italy in the Early Bronze Age 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.

Sardinian

2.0670