Genome-wide ancient DNA analyzed from 38 of 41 victims. Victims represent sample of large farming community with 30 mitochondrial and 6 Y-chromosome lineages. Ancestry homogeneous: mostly Anatolian Neolithic plus 9% Western Hunter-Gatherer, no steppe ancestry. Only 11 of 38 closely related, forming 4 small pedigrees – 70% unrelated. Equal sex ratio: 20 females, 18 males. Victims span all ages: infants to adults. Perimortem cranial injuries on 13 individuals using blunt, stabbing, piercing weapons. No postcranial injuries. No close-kin inbreeding – low runs of homozygosity indicate large effective population size of 20,100–75,600. Massacre not battle, family-targeted, migrant-related, or sex-biased. Killing matches definition of intentional murder of unprepared mass by group. Similar to other Neolithic massacres like Talheim and Asparn/Schletz. Occurred in Lasinja culture pit burial dated ~4200 BCE. Victims consumed more animal products than neighbors per isotopes. Paternal lineages G2, I2, C-V20 typical of Balkan Neolithic. No population turnover or new ancestry at time. Indiscriminate violence key feature of pre-state societies.
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