Release Description Second major release of AncientMetagenomeDir. Release v20.12 includes 20 new publications, representing 42 new ancient host-associated metagenome samples, 46 new ancient microbial genomes and 23 new ancient environmental samples. This brings the repository to a total of 546 ancient host-associated metagenome samples, and 319 ancient microbial genomes and 338 ancient environmental samples. Corrections were made to 9 publications. New functionality includes auto-generated images of sample location maps, sample count histograms and publication count timelines on each new merge. These can be found under assets/live/images. The full changelog is below. Added Ancient Metagenome: Host Associated Modi 2020 10.1007/s12520-019-00983-5 Appelt 2014 10.1128/AEM.03242-13 Eisenhofer 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0578 Jacobson 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0589 Sabin 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0576 Williams 2020 10.1128/MRA.00850-20 Fotakis 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0584 Ancient Single Genome: Host Associated Susat 2020 10.1038/s41598-020-71530-9 Eisenhofer 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0578 Morozova 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0569 Schuenemann 2018 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006447 Ferrari 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0572 Williams 2020 10.1128/MRA.00850-20 Fotakis 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0584 Marciniak 2016 10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.016 Gelabert 2016 10.1073/pnas.1611017113 Taubenberger 2005 10.1038/nature04230 Lugli 2017 10.1186/s40168-016-0221-y Bravo Lopez 2020 10.1098/rstb.2019.0580 Ancient Metagenome: Environmental Added new metadata columns to improve data reconstructions: sequence_name (e.g. core, transect), depth, feature (e.g. cave, lake), study type. Braadbaart 2020 10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102468 DerSarkissian 2016 10.1111/1755-0998.12679 Ancient Metagenome: Anthropogenic Misc Added 'live-status' summary images that are displayed on README and updated on every new submission. Changed Ardelean 2020: Differentiated samples with identical names Ahmed 2018: Updated sample_age and sample_age_doi Graham 2016: Updated sequence_name Wang 2017: Updated sequence_name Pedersen 2016: Updated sequence_name and corrected two typos in depth Armbrecht 2020: fixed broken DOI due to spreadsheet drag-down error de Dios 2019: Standardised coordinates and location name with Gelabert 2016 for accuracy van Dorp 2020: Standardised coordinates and location name with Gelabert 2016 for accuracy Weyrich 2017: Replaced OAGR codes with newly uploaded SRA accession numbers Ancient City of Nessebar Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). At the beginning of the 6th century BC, the city became a Greek colony. The city's remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period, include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the Black Sea. Wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical of the Black Sea architecture of the period. Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0 from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/217/