Historians have debated for centuries the magnitude, nature, and impact of population movements from the borders of the Roman Empire into its heart between the fourth and seventh centuries. In recent years, geneticists have begun to attempt to provide clarity to these questions through the analysis of the biological data contained in the human genome. In this lecture, Patrick J. Geary, Professor in the School of Historical Studies, looks at the conceptual, technical, and computational challenges of using genetic data to help answer these fundamental questions about the dynamics of populations in a crucial period of European history.
