Plans underway to extract aDNA from Poland's earliest rulers and their knights

Polish scientists and historians have teamed up to attempt the extraction of DNA from skeletal remains of direct descendants of Mieszko I, Poland's first king. One of the main goals is to substantiate the current consensus view that Mieszko, and his Piast dynasty, were of local Greater Polish origin, rather than imports from Denmark, which had been suggested in the past. However, DNA will also be sought from Viking-like military graves of the early Polish period. Based on archaeological finds, these are thought to belong to Scandinavian mercenaries hired by Polish kings and dukes. Indeed, the project is part of an international effort to characterize the DNA of a number of ruling dynasties from across Central, Northern and Eastern Europe. These include the Jellings from Denmark and the Ruriks from Russia, both of whom are known to have had close contacts with the Piast clan. Here is a map, created by your's truly, of early Medieval Poland showing the locations of the military, Viking-like graves to be tested (source).





Below is a short summary of the project goals in Polish. It doesn't say much more than I've already noted above. However, there is a more extensive Polish press article on the topic here.