Human Population Genomics in Northern Europe in the Past 2000 years

Abstract

The thesis explores, in three chapters, how the human genome has changed in Northern Europe over a period of the last 2000 years. This is performed by using whole-genome shotgun sequencing of both contemporary and ancient human genomes from across Northern Europe.

The first chapter corroborate an ancient Norse saga describing a raid against King Sverres army at Sverresborg (Trondheim) in 1197 CE in which a man was thrown into the drinking well. The human remains of this individual is currently under display at the Natural History Museum in Trondheim (Kalveskinnet) where the genetic results put forth in this thesis will help shed new light onto the life of the “Wellman”.

The second chapter explores how the population of Trondheim has changed through the last 1000 years, primarily shaped by the second plague pandemic (aka the Black Death), using DNA from 140 ancient individuals buried in Trondheim from the period 900-1700 CE.

The third chapter investigates the origin of the city of London (England). This city was originally established by the foreign Roman Empire as a means to extract valuables and minerals to the ever-expanding Roman Empire. Using ancient genomes extracted from 24 human remains from 0-400 CE, we investigate the genetic origin of the founding people of London.