Genetic characterization of ancestral French populations using ancient DNA – ANCESTRA

The aim of ANCESTRA is to reconstruct the peopling of the territory of present-day France by characterizing the different waves of human populations since the Neolithic and until the beginning of the Middle-Ages. By means of ancient DNA studies, we can directly access the genetic make-up, the ancestry, the phenotypes, the pathogens and the adaptation to diet and environmental conditions of ancient populations characterized archaeologically in time and space. We will then be able to depict the ancient population structure in this geographic region and compare it with the structure of the modern French population as well as with other geographic regions from which data are already available. The study will bring about the scientific basis to put in a broad context the last century of immigration as the continuation of the “French Story” over the last 6000 years and help to better understand the integration process of migrants.