Post #3700

Ancient Greek genetics The first Classical Greek samples were recently published in a new preprint study; five individuals from Amvrakia in western Greece. The samples were genetically homogeneous and closely resembled both the preceding Mycenaean and Iron Age Greeks, and succeeding Hellenistic Greeks, indicating relative genetic stability for over 1000 years. They carried approximately: 50% Proto-Greek (or Paleo-Balkan) Indo-European ancestry; 35% ancestry from the pre-Indo-European inhabitants of Greece; 15% ancestry from Bronze Age central Anatolians. They had higher levels of proto-Greek ancestry than the Mycenaean average, likely reflecting regional genetic variation, which was common in ancient Greece (see final image featuring individual Mycenaeans). Roman-era samples from the Peloponnese site of Tenea were relatively similar to Roman-era samples from Western Anatolia and Italy, carrying increased ancestry from Eastern Anatolia and the Levant. Beware: Small sample sizes may be unrepresentative.