Genome Analysis of Human Remains from Imdang-dong and Joyeong-dong Tombs Reveals Three Kingdoms-Era Kinship Networks

First Genetic Evidence of Consanguinity and Endogamy, Including Family-Based Human Sacrifice Burials

Contributing to Korean and East Asian Ancient History Research, Published in Science Advances

[April 9, 2026]

<From left, Curator KIM Dae-uk of the YU Museum, Professor WOO Eun-jin of Sejong University, and Professor JEONG Choong-won of Seoul National University>

YU (President CHOI Oe-chool) has drawn major academic attention by, for the first time, identifying complex kinship networks among ancient Koreans through genome analysis based on human skeletal remains.

 This study was conducted as an international collaborative project involving Curator KIM Dae-uk of the YU Museum, Professor WOO Eun-jin of Sejong University, Professor JEONG Choong-won of Seoul National University, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

 The research team analyzed human remains excavated from the Imdang-dong and Joyeong-dong ancient tomb complex in Gyeongsan, a representative archaeological site of the Three Kingdoms period, presenting new findings on local customs during the Silla era. Human bones and teeth can retain DNA over long periods depending on preservation conditions. Such ancient genomes provide valuable insights into past populations, including mobility, physical traits, kinship structures, and marriage practices. By extracting DNA from the remains of 78 individuals recovered from 44 tombs, the team identified biological kinship relationships and revealed that ancient inhabitants of the Gyeongsan region practiced consanguineous and endogamous marriages.

 KIM Dae-uk, co–first author and corresponding author of the study, stated, “The burial complexes of Imdang-dong and Joyeong-dong are tombs of descendants of the ancient Apdok state, where multiple sacrificial burials have been identified within large tombs. In addition to grave goods such as ornaments, weapons, and pottery, the site preserves animal remains consumed at the time, as well as the skeletal remains of both tomb owners and sacrificial individuals. This makes it an exceptional site where scientific analysis of human remains allows us to vividly reconstruct ancient lives, including kinship, dietary differences by social class, diseases, and sudden deaths.”

 The Seoul National University research team noted, “The patterns of endogamy observed among ancient Koreans in this study sharply contrast with the strict female exogamy commonly identified in ancient and medieval European societies. To date, genetically confirmed cases of such patterns in ancient societies have only been reported in Neolithic Türkiye and China,” highlighting the uniqueness of the findings.

 These results also carry significant archaeological implications. While historical texts such as Samguk Sagi document instances of consanguineous marriage within the Silla royal family, this is the first time such practices have been genetically verified. Demonstrating that endogamy and consanguinity were commonly practiced in regional Silla society represents a major historical and academic breakthrough.

<Kinship network diagram of individuals buried in the Imdang-dong and Joyeong-dong tomb complex based on DNA analysis>

The study also uncovered previously unverifiable kinship relationships among sacrificial individuals. Cases in which sacrificial individuals buried within the same tomb were identified as parent–child or siblings confirm that entire families were interred together as part of sacrificial burial practices for a specific tomb owner. Furthermore, no direct kinship ties were identified between tomb owners and sacrificial individuals. The rarity of close familial relationships between them indicates a clear segmentation of kinship structures according to burial status.

 The findings support prior archaeological hypotheses. Earlier studies suggested that adjacent tombs may belong to married couples, and this study confirmed spousal relationships between individuals buried in adjoining tombs through reconstructed family trees. This strongly suggests that similar adjacent tombs found in other burial complexes may also represent married couples. Additionally, while previous research hypothesized that kinship relationships would be segmented by spatial zones within the tomb complex, this study revealed that kinship ties extended across these zones, demonstrating the overall interconnectedness of the Imdang-dong and Joyeong-dong burial complex.

 The research team stated, “Through further analysis of ancient genomes from surrounding regions, we plan to investigate the scale and mobility of local communities during the Three Kingdoms period. Comparative studies with similar cases across Korea will help identify broader characteristics of regional societies of the time. We also aim to reconstruct ancient life in greater detail by studying ancient pathogen DNA, genetic diseases, and stress patterns.”

 This study is expected to stimulate greater interest and necessity in ancient genome research in Korea. KIM Dae-uk added, “Although recent achievements in ancient genome research in Korea have begun to be reported, there remains not only a lack of studies on kinship relationships within the Korean Peninsula, but also a shortage of sufficiently representative genomic data. It is expected that continued and active research like this will broaden academic discussion and interest in the previously unknown social customs and genetic composition of ancient Korean populations, thereby deepening our overall understanding of Koreans.”

 Meanwhile, this study was conducted with support from the “Apdok Cultural Heritage Research and Utilization Project” commissioned by Gyeongsan City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, as well as the National Research Foundation of Korea’s “Basic Research Program for Intensive, Long-term Research” and the “University Research Institute Support Program (G-LAMP).” The study was published on April 9, 2026, in Science Advances, an international journal issued by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, under the title “Ancient genomes reveal an extensive kinship network and endogamy in a Three-Kingdoms period society in Korea.”