Serra Crabiles, Sardinia — Late Chalcolithic

The Serra Crabiles assemblage sits at the waning edge of the Chalcolithic and the dawn of the Bronze Age on Sardinia (2470–2200 BCE). Archaeological layers from the site at Sennori (Serra Crabiles, t.3) reveal domestic structures, pottery styles, and burial practices that align with Late Chalcolithic Sardinia while also showing local variants. Limited evidence suggests continuity with earlier Neolithic communities on the island, but there are also signs of renewed connections across the Tyrrhenian and western Mediterranean coasts.

Genetic data from eight individuals provide a slender but evocative thread: a predominance of Y-haplogroup G and a strong maternal signal of mtDNA J. These markers are compatible with a scenario of substantial local ancestry combined with episodic male-mediated or shared-lineage interactions. Archaeological ceramics and exchange goods imply maritime networks that may have transmitted genes, ideas, and material culture. However, with only eight samples, interpretations remain provisional — the emerging picture is one of an island community rooted in local traditions while participating in broader, sea-borne webs of contact.

Ancient DNA from eight individuals at Serra Crabiles yields a concise genetic snapshot: four males carrying Y-haplogroup G and mitochondrial haplogroups dominated by J (seven occurrences) with one K. This skew toward maternal J lineages suggests local matrilineal continuity or a maternal reservoir persisting on Sardinia into the Late Chalcolithic. The prevalence of Y-G in this small set may reflect local paternal lineages or male-mediated connections with nearby populations.

Genetic signals must be read cautiously. With fewer than ten samples, any inference about population-wide structure, migration, or sex-biased mobility is preliminary. Nevertheless, the combination of a dominant maternal haplogroup and a concentrated Y-haplogroup hints at social patterns — perhaps stable maternal residency with some male-line clustering. Archaeological indicators of exchange and maritime contact provide a plausible mechanism for introducing new paternal lineages at modest rates while maternal lines remained more regionally entrenched.

Comparative aDNA from later Sardinian and mainland Italian contexts will be essential to situate these individuals within broader demographic shifts across the Chalcolithic–Bronze Age transition. For now, the Serra Crabiles data offer a rare genomic glimpse into a coastal Sardinian community balancing endemic continuity and intermittent external ties.