Overview of genomic evidence
The Bulgaria_LIA dataset currently comprises only three ancient genomes from central Bulgaria (Kazanlak, Yasenovo, Rozovo/Stara Zagora) dated to c. 450 BCE–150 CE. One sample carries mitochondrial haplogroup HV9. No consistent Y‑DNA pattern can be reported from these three individuals because either Y-haplogroups were not recovered or the sample set is too small to identify common male lineages.
Interpreting limited data
With fewer than ten samples, conclusions must be treated as preliminary. Limited evidence suggests continuity with longstanding Balkan maternal lineages — HV subclades are present in Neolithic and later European populations — but a single HV9 detection does not demonstrate population-wide frequency. Archaeogenetic studies across the Balkans commonly reveal mixtures of local Neolithic-derived ancestry with Bronze Age Steppe-related inputs and later Iron Age mobility; it is plausible that the Bulgaria_LIA individuals reflect a complex mosaic of these influences, but this hypothesis requires larger samples.
Research directions
To move beyond suggestive patterns, more genomes from varied burial contexts and stratified radiocarbon dates are needed. Future sampling should target both sexes, a range of ages, and multiple cemetery sites to resolve questions of continuity, migration, and social structure in Late Iron Age central Bulgaria.
