The Neolithic and Bronze Ages were highly transformative periods for the genetic history of Europe but for the Aegean—a region fundamental to Europe’s prehistory—the biological dimensions of cultural transitions have been elucidated only to a limited extent so far. We have analysed newly generated genome-wide data from 102 ancient individuals from Crete, the Greek mainland and the Aegean Islands, spanning from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. We found that the early farmers from Crete shared the same ancestry as other contemporaneous Neolithic Aegeans. In contrast, the end of the Neolithic period and the following Early Bronze Age were marked by ‘eastern’ gene flow, which was predominantly of Anatolian origin in Crete. Confirming previous findings for additional Central/Eastern European ancestry in the Greek mainland by the Middle Bronze Age, we additionally show that such genetic signatures appeared in Crete gradually from the seventeenth to twelfth centuries bc, a period when the influence of the mainland over the island intensified. Biological and cultural connectedness within the Aegean is also supported by the finding of consanguineous endogamy practiced at high frequencies, unprecedented in the global ancient DNA record. Our results highlight the potential of archaeogenomic approaches in the Aegean for unravelling the interplay of genetic admixture, marital and other cultural practices.

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This article outlines the application of problem-based learning, or PBL, to a freshman-level course in Aegean prehistory. The project described demonstrates how PBL can be used to tap into college-level students' natural curiosity about the ancient world while training them to use practical, broadly applicable writing and research skills.When I was offered a temporary adjunct teaching position at a small liberal arts school, I jumped at the chance to design a course in my specialty from scratch. My assignment for the 4-week term was to prepare a "sexy" (i.e. student-appealing) class on Aegean prehistory as a counterpart to a course on Homer and the Bronze Age offered earlier. With an alluring title and a compelling description for the catalogue, the only challenge that remained was to create a class on prehistoric archaeology that would appeal to a largely freshman audience of non-Classics majors. At the time, I was also participating in a program meant to groom young academics to be thoughtful, scholarly instructors, in which we were introduced to a teaching strategy called problem-based learning, or PBL. PBL is a pedagogical methodology in which students focus on solving problems or completing problem-based projects that simulate real-world situations, and are asked to seek solutions to problems that replicate real-world issues in a process that transforms students into active learners, and instructors into learned guides.PBL as an educational strategy originated at medical schools in Canada and the United States as a way to train young physicians to use knowledge acquired through self-motivated study to solve patient problems.1 Since its development, the use of PBL has branched out into other areas of the sciences, as well as into law, social work and administrative training, but has been slow to permeate the humanities.2 Positive results from the use of PBL strategies in the sciences suggests that a problem-centered approach might be an exciting way to show how Classics courses can teach practical skills valuable to high school and college students preparing for a broad range of professions. It is with this in mind that I present the project from my 4-week course, which was conceived during a brainstorming session that explored ways PBL might be applicable to any field of studies, even Aegean prehistory.There are myriad benefits for students participating in PBL oriented courses. Because the problems posed are supposed to be unstructured and messy, with no single correct approach or solution, a wide variety of skills must be applied to the problem-solving process. Newly acquired knowledge that is actively used is more likely to be stored in students' long-term memory. In a classroom environment where inquiry and risk-taking are promoted,3 students seek solutions by utilizing known resources and become naturally proactive in acquiring new information. Instructors facilitate the process by providing wisdom and experience. Memorization by rote is deemphasized. The center of learning thus shifts away f...

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