Analysis of the Y Chromosome in the Population of a Mountain Village, Postua

Abstract

Postua is a small village (around 500 inhabitants) in the Sessera Valley, province of Vercelli, on the slopes of the Biellese pre-Alps.The name Postua derives from the Latin post, in the sense of the last settlement of the foothills. Its geographical position, far from the main byways of the area, has led to a certain isolation of the community. Postua was settled in ancient times, presumably in the Celtic era, since the zone contained iron deposits.The first written documentation of the village’s existence dates to the Middle Ages: a document from 1279 refers to Postua and its forges.