Breaking the Silence: archaeogenetic analyses of the indigenous populations of Magna Graecia. The case of Guardia Perticara

Magna Graecia represents one of the most significant colonial phenomena of the ancient Mediterranean, yet its history has traditionally been reconstructed almost exclusively through the perspective of Greek settlers. Indigenous populations of southern Italy, such as the Oenotrians, have remained largely invisible in both literary sources and archaeological interpretations, a phenomenon described as the “silence of indigenous peoples.” This study aims to analyse the interactions between Greek colonists and local communities through an archaeogenetic investigation of the Oenotrian necropolis of Guardia Perticara (Basilicata, 9th–5th centuries BCE), an important funerary context located within the Ionian arc. This archaeological site is particularly well suited to our research aims, as it preserves both traditional Oenotrian funerary practices and tombs containing Greek imports or local imitations, offering a unique opportunity to test whether cultural hybridity reflected demographic mobility, genetic admixture, or the selective adoption of external cultural models. In this context, we analysed the whole genomes of 14 ancient individuals to investigate their genetic ancestry and biological relatedness. By integrating archaeogenetic data with archaeological evidence, our study addresses two main questions: the biological continuity of the community over time and the relationship between Greek-style grave goods and individual genetic ancestry. This project employs archaeogenetics as a historical and social tool to investigate patterns of colonization, interaction, and identity in ancient southern Italy.