
<p>This Black History Month, we’re expanding our Historical Matches<sup>SM</sup> feature to include 16 new historical African and African American individuals from the U.S. and Mexico. Their genomes were sequenced as part of two powerful studies that demonstrate how ancient DNA can help shed light on the lives of individuals who were left out of the historical record.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-story-of-three-african-individuals-in-colonial-mexico">The Story of Three African Individuals in Colonial Mexico</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/african_colonial_mexico-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-33704" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/african_colonial_mexico-1024x576.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/african_colonial_mexico-300x169.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/african_colonial_mexico-768x432.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/african_colonial_mexico-880x495.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/african_colonial_mexico-1180x664.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/african_colonial_mexico.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Three individuals were buried in a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32359431/">16th century mass grave in Mexico City</a>. Through ancient DNA and anthropological analysis, researchers identified them as first-generation Africans who were likely forcibly transported to Mexico as part of the transatlantic slave trade. Their DNA revealed close ties to present-day Central-Western African populations. Further analysis showed that one individual was infected with hepatitis B, while another may have suffered from yaws, a bacterial infection affecting the skin, bones, and joints.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-story-of-catoctin-furnace-ironworkers">The Story of Catoctin Furnace Ironworkers</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/catoctin_furnace-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-33703" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/catoctin_furnace-1024x576.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/catoctin_furnace-300x169.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/catoctin_furnace-768x432.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/catoctin_furnace-880x495.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/catoctin_furnace-1180x664.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/catoctin_furnace.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>We’ve also expanded the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37535739/">Catoctin Furnace Ironworkers</a> group, which now includes all 22 African Americans whose genomes were analyzed in our 2022 study where we introduced the technology that drives our Historical Matches feature, which is available to all 23andMe+ Premium members. In addition to the nine previously included individuals, we just added 13 more African Americans who were likely enslaved at the site. Their DNA isn’t as well preserved, meaning genetic matches to them should be interpreted with some caution. But we felt it was important to include them—to acknowledge their lives and their contributions to early American history.</p>



<p>We hope that these new updates to the Historical Matches feature highlight how ancient DNA can help us to restore the memory of individuals whose history may previously have been overlooked.</p>


23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Reclaiming Lost Connections: How Historical Matches Sheds Light on Forgotten Lives


<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-new-moon-on-january-29th-ushers-in-the-chinese-new-year-symbolizing-the-end-of-winter-and-the-arrival-of-spring-in-china-to-celebrate-we-have-added-56-new-individuals-from-three-recent-studies-of-ancient-china-to-the-historical-matches-tm-feature-a-23andme-premium-membership-feature">The New Moon on January 29th ushers in the Chinese New Year, symbolizing the end of winter and the arrival of spring in China. To celebrate, we have added 56 new individuals from three recent studies of ancient China to the Historical Matches<sup>TM</sup> feature, a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium<sup><a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">® </a></sup>  membership </a>feature. </h5>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genomic-transformations-in-shandong-province-throughout-time"><strong>Genomic Transformations in Shandong Province Throughout Time</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shandong-1024x576.png" alt="Photograph of city from Shandong Dynasty" class="wp-image-33655" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shandong-1024x576.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shandong-300x169.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shandong-768x432.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shandong-880x495.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shandong-1180x664.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shandong.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Shandong Dynasty city</figcaption></figure>



<p>Two of the newly added studies focus on the ancient inhabitants of Shandong Province, located in the easternmost reaches of the Yellow River Basin. This region is considered a cradle of ancient Chinese civilization, partly due to its role in the independent domestication of millet during the Neolithic Houli Period (circa 6500 – 5500 BCE). Around 4,000 years ago, Shandong transitioned into its dynastic era with the establishment of the legendary Xia dynasty (circa 2070 – 1600 BCE).</p>



<p>In 2024, researchers published two genetic studies on the ancient inhabitants of Shandong Province to better understand the demographic shifts in the region over the past 6,000 years. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39146937/">The first study</a> analyzed the genomes of 69 individuals who lived in the region between the Late Neolithic period (circa 5,500 BCE) and the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE). <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39009303/">The second study</a> focused on 21 individuals who lived in Shandong between the Warring States Period (475 – 221 BCE) and the Jin (1115 – 1234 CE) and Yuan (1271 – 1368 CE) Dynasties.<br><br>These studies revealed that during the Dawenkou period (c. 4300 – 2500 BCE), populations related to Yellow River farmers from Central China (who themselves had some Southern Chinese-related ancestry) migrated to Shandong and intermingled with local groups. Later, during the Shang (c. 1600 – 1046 BCE) and Zhou (c. 1046 – 256 BCE) Dynasties, the region experienced an additional influx of ancestry from populations from the Central Plains. By the Han Dynasty, the ancestry of Shandong&#8217;s inhabitants began to resemble that of the present-day inhabitants of the region.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ancient-city-of-chang-an-during-the-tang-dynasty"><strong>The Ancient City of Chang’an During the Tang Dynasty</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tang_dynasty_changan-1024x576.png" alt="Photo of the ancient city of Changan from the Tang Dynasty." class="wp-image-33654" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tang_dynasty_changan-1024x576.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tang_dynasty_changan-300x169.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tang_dynasty_changan-768x432.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tang_dynasty_changan-880x495.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tang_dynasty_changan-1180x664.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tang_dynasty_changan.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ancient city of Changan from the Tang dynasty</figcaption></figure>



<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39567925/">The third study</a> we are featuring this month investigates the genetic impact of long distance trade along the Silk Road on the inhabitants of the ancient city of Chang’an (now known as Xi’an). Located at the eastern end of the Silk Road, Chang’an was one of the most influential cities in ancient China’s history. As the capital of several prominent dynasties, including the Qin (221 – 206 BCE), Western Han (206 BCE – 9 CE), and Tang (618 – 907 CE) Dynasties, Chang’an served as a political and cultural hub. Its key position at the end of the Silk Road meant that Chang’an played a central role in facilitating trade and the exchange of ideas between China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. During the Tang dynasty, the city flourished, reaching a population of over one million at its peak</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



<p>You can learn more about these chapters in ancient China’s history and discover whether you share distant genetic connections with the newly added historical individuals from ancient China—or with hundreds of other historical individuals—through the Historical Matches<sup>TM</sup> feature, available with our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+® Premium membership</a>.</p>


New Historical Matches Could Connect You to Ancient China


<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-month-a-team-of-researchers-from-trinity-college-dublin-and-bournemouth-university-published-a-new-study-in-the-journal-nature-that-upends-our-understanding-of-women-s-roles-in-ancient-celtic-society-in-britain">This month, a team of researchers from Trinity College Dublin and Bournemouth University published <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39814899/">a new study in the journal Nature</a> that upends our understanding of women’s roles in ancient Celtic society in Britain.</h5>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Missing burials in Iron Age Britain</h2>



<p>Prior to the publication of this study, relatively little was known about the social structure of Iron Age populations in Britain due to the scarcity of human skeletal remains from this period. Researchers are uncertain why so few burials have survived from this period, but it is possible that it is related to how ancient Britons treated the dead. They may have placed burials in environments like bogs or wetlands, where bones are less likely to preserve, or practiced cremation, leaving limited remains behind.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This shortage of skeletal evidence has made it challenging to answer important questions about Iron Age social organization, such as how people moved within society after marriage. However this changed when archaeologists discovered a rare, well-preserved Iron Age cemetery in Dorset in southern England, where members of a tribe known as the Durotriges—a name preserved in the writings of Ptolemy, the 2<sup>nd</sup> century Greek geographer and astronomer—were buried.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="500" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Coins-Celtic-HM-1024x500.png" alt="Photograph of front and back of coin from the Durotriges, circa 60 BC" class="wp-image-33651" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Coins-Celtic-HM-1024x500.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Coins-Celtic-HM-300x146.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Coins-Celtic-HM-768x375.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Coins-Celtic-HM-880x429.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Coins-Celtic-HM-1180x576.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Coin from the Durotriges, circa 60 BC</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Discovering a matrilocal society</h2>



<p>The research team sequenced the genomes of 55 individuals who were buried in this ancient cemetery—in addition to two other Durotrigian women who were buried nearby—in order to investigate the family structure of Celtic populations in southern Britain during the Late Iron Age.&nbsp;</p>



<p>They discovered that most of the people buried in the cemetery descended from a single maternal lineage that spanned generations. This discovery suggests that the society practiced matrilocality—where men moved to live with their wives&#8217; families. In human history, matrilocality is far less common than patrilocality, where women join their husbands’ families. Remarkably, this study uncovered the earliest known case of matrilocality among ancient Europeans.</p>



<p>When the researchers expanded their analysis to other ancient European sites with available ancient DNA, they found that similar patterns of matrilocality were observed only in other Celtic populations in Britain. This suggests that matrilocality may have been a distinctive feature of Iron Age Britons, setting them apart from other ancient European societies.</p>



<p>These findings align with Roman accounts of the unique and influential roles women held in Celtic Britain. For instance, Julius Caesar wrote about British women taking multiple husbands, while historical records highlight two prominent female leaders: Cartimandua, the warrior queen of the Brigantes, and Boudica of the Iceni, who led a revolt against Roman rule.</p>



<p>While matrilocal societies are not necessarily matriarchal (where women hold higher social status than men), such practices are more likely to occur in matrilocal systems than in patrilocal ones.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Learn More</h2>



<p>Interested in learning whether you share a genetic connection to this lineage of Celtic women? Thanks to Historical Matches<sup>SM</sup> our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+® Premium membership</a> feature, you can find out if you share a genetic connection with the individuals whose DNA was sequenced as part of this study.</p>


Photograph of Dorset, England showing green hillsides at sunset.

New Historical Matches could connect you a lineage of Iron Age Celtic Women in Britain


<p>This month, 23andMe is adding eight new historical individuals from the colonial port of Campeche to Historical Matches<sup>SM</sup>, a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23andMe+ Premium</a><sup>TM </sup>&nbsp;membership feature.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unesco-world-heritage-site">UNESCO World Heritage Site</h2>



<p>The colonial port of Campeche, located in what is now the southeastern part of Mexico, was founded in 1540 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo ‘the Younger’. The port is near the site of the old Maya village of ‘<em>Ah Kin Pech</em>,’ from which it derives its name.&nbsp;</p>



<p>After its founding, Campeche quickly grew into one of the main ports of the Spanish Empire in Mexico, and it remained one of the region’s most prominent ports until the early 19<sup>th</sup> century. In 2000, the United Nations declared the city of Campeche a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognizing its historic town center as a key landmark of early Hispanic society in the Americas.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Within a few years of the founding of the port, an early colonial parish church was erected to serve the town’s inhabitants, including people of Spanish, Indigenous American, and African ancestry. The church continued to serve the community until 1680, when it was replaced by Campeche Cathedral, which is still in use. In 2000, Mexico&#8217;s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia excavated the colonial-era parish church, discovering burials of 129 individuals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-historical-individuals">Historical Individuals</h2>



<p>In 2022, <a href="https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2022.79" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scientists sequenced the genomes of ten individuals</a> who lived during the 16th–17th centuries and were buried in the cemetery of the Campeche parish church. Their goal was to learn about the lives of Campeche’s inhabitants and the social divisions that may have existed in the town’s earliest years.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Of the ten individuals they sequenced, eight had entirely Indigenous American ancestry (most similar to contemporary Maya individuals from southern Mexico), one had European ancestry, and one had African ancestry. Interestingly, none of these individuals had any evidence of mixed ancestry, suggesting that despite living nearby under colonial rule, strong social divisions may have endured at Campeche across generations during this early colonial period.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



<p>You can find out if you share a genetic connection to eight of the individuals from this study and learn more about colonial Campeche through <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches">23andMe’s Historical Matches feature</a>, which is available to all <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium</a><sup>TM </sup> members.</p>



<p></p>


In 2000, Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia excavated Campeche Cathedral, discovering burials of 129 individuals.

New Historical Matches Could Connect You to Colonial Era Mexico


<p>A new update to the 23andMe+ Premium™ Historical Matches<sup>SM</sup> feature allows members to learn if they are genetically connected to Vikings massacred in the Kingdom of England on November 13th, 1002 CE. This historical event came to be known as the St. Brice’s Day Massacre because it occurred on the feast day of St. Brice, a French cleric who lived in the 5th Century and was later canonized.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="178" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ethelred_the_Unready-178x300.jpg" alt="A medieval print of King Aethelred the Unready" class="wp-image-33487" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ethelred_the_Unready-178x300.jpg 178w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ethelred_the_Unready-606x1024.jpg 606w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ethelred_the_Unready-521x880.jpg 521w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ethelred_the_Unready-699x1180.jpg 699w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ethelred_the_Unready.jpg 710w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 178px) 100vw, 178px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>King Aethelred the Unready</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>It’s a grim connection to the past, but this new update adds to the more than 500 historical individuals in 23andMe’s innovative<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches"> Historical Matches feature</a>.</p>



<p>These historical individuals are people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago, including those killed on St. Brice’s Day from what is known as the Viking Age and individuals from ancient Rome, ancient China, or medieval Central Europe, to name a few. Some are known historical individuals like Beethoven, but most are nameless, like those killed over a thousand years ago on St. Brice’s Day.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-historical-matches-are-made"><strong>How Historical Matches Are Made</strong></h2>



<p><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches">Historical Matches</a> identify places in your genome where you share identical DNA with ancient or historical individuals whose genomes have been sequenced, typically from archaeological studies.</p>



<p>For this latest update, the data comes from a 2020 study of the<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32939067/"> genomics of the Viking World</a>.</p>



<p>As part of that study, researchers sequenced the genomes of historical individuals buried in two mass graves in England—one in Oxford and one in Dorset—providing new insights into their ancestry. 23andMe scientists have added publicly available data from 27 of these historical individuals who were very likely killed during the St. Brice’s Day Massacre.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happened-on-st-brice-s-day"><strong>What Happened on St. Brice’s Day?</strong></h2>



<p>In the late 10<sup>th</sup> and early 11<sup>th</sup> centuries, the Kingdom of England faced relentless raids by Danish Vikings. Believing that the Danes were plotting to overthrow him, King Æthelred II of England, known as “Æthelred the Unready,” ordered a mass execution of all Danish settlers in his kingdom.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Historians do not know how many people were killed on that day, but among those reportedly killed was Gunnhild, the sister of Denmark’s King Sweyn Forkbeard, along with her husband. Enraged by the murder of his sister and brother-in-law, Sweyn intensified his raids on England, eventually seizing the English throne in 1013 CE and forcing Æthelred into exile. However, Sweyn’s rule of England was short-lived; he died just five weeks later due to unknown causes (some sources say that he fell from a horse, while others say that he was killed).&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unearthing-the-past-through-archaeology"><strong>Unearthing the Past through Archaeology</strong></h2>



<p><br>In 2008, excavations on the grounds of St. John’s College at Oxford University led to the discovery of a mass grave that contained the remains of 33 men and two teenage boys. The skeletal remains showed evidence of sharp-force trauma, with wounds often inflicted from behind, suggesting the victims were attempting to flee.</p>



<p>A year later, in 2009, another mass grave was discovered in Dorset England, that contained the remains of about 50 men. Similar to the Oxford site, the men died violently. In this case, all had been decapitated, with their bodies carelessly thrown into the burial pit and their heads piled together at the southern edge of the grave.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Although no historical records directly link either of these mass graves to the St. Brice’s Day Massacre, radiocarbon dating of the skeletal remains align with the date of this event. Further, the violent nature of the injuries the individuals sustained and the careless way in which they were buried are consistent with a massacre, offering further evidence of the brutal actions taken on that day.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more"><strong>Learn More</strong></h2>



<p>If you are a 23andMe+ Premium member, you can check it out to learn more about the St. Brice’s Day Massacre and to find out if you are distantly related to the Danish Vikings who died on this day in history or to hundreds of other historical individuals.&nbsp;</p>



<p><br>Not yet a member? Learn more about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">all that 23andMe+ offers here</a>.</p>


A photo showing the archeological dig where the skeletal remains of Vikings believed to be killed in the St. Brice's Day Massacre in Oxford England.

Are you related to Vikings killed in the St. Brice’s Day Massacre?


<p>Every October, we celebrate Italian-American Heritage Month, which honors the accomplishments of Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans, who comprise the fifth-largest ethnic group in the United States. In celebration, 23andMe+ Premium members, using the Historical Matches<sup>SM</sup> feature, “Historical Matches,” can now discover how they are genetically connected to the ancient inhabitants of one of Italy’s most famous cities: Rome.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ancient-city-of-rome"><strong>The Ancient City of Rome</strong></h2>



<p>Rome was founded in the 8th century BCE. At the time, it was one of many independently governed city-states on the Italian Peninsula. By its peak, during the Imperial Period (27 BCE–476 CE), Rome had grown into a major cosmopolitan city with over one million inhabitants. It served as a center of commerce that linked people and goods from throughout the Mediterranean, the Near East, North Africa, and beyond.</p>



<p>The city of Rome served as the capital of the Roman Empire from its founding in 27 BCE until 330 CE when Emperor Constantine moved the capital to Byzantium (renaming it Constantinople in his honor). After losing its status as a capital city, Rome gradually lost its political prominence and experienced a dramatic decline in population size. Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century CE, Rome’s population fell to less than 100,000 people. It wasn’t until around the 14th century CE that the population size began to increase again.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Despite its fluctuating political status, Rome endures as a cultural and religious center to the present day.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-roman-genomes-throughout-history"><strong>Ancient Roman Genomes Throughout History</strong></h2>



<p>In 2019, scientists sequenced the genomes of 127 individuals from 29 archaeological sites in and around the ancient city of Rome. To learn how the genetics of people living in the region changed over time, they sampled individuals who lived in the region over the past 12,000 years, from hunter-gatherers during the Mesolithic period (10,000–6,000 BCE) to the city’s inhabitants during the Medieval and Early Modern periods (700–1800 CE).&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="667" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lupa_Capitolina_Rome-1-1024x667.jpg" alt="A bronze statue of the Capitoline Wolf nursing Romulus and Remus. " class="wp-image-33447" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lupa_Capitolina_Rome-1-1024x667.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lupa_Capitolina_Rome-1-300x195.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lupa_Capitolina_Rome-1-768x500.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lupa_Capitolina_Rome-1-880x573.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lupa_Capitolina_Rome-1-1180x768.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lupa_Capitolina_Rome-1.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>A bronze statue of the Capitoline Wolf nursing the mythical twin founders of Rome, Romulus, and Remus. </em></figcaption></figure>



<p>The majority of the individuals that they studied lived in Rome during three key periods:&nbsp;</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>The Roman Republic (509–27 BCE)</strong>: Following the overthrow of the last Roman king (Lucius Tarquinius Superbus) in 509 BCE, the ancient Romans established the first republic–a system of governance in which power was shared through a complex system of checks and balances, giving members of the public increasing rights over time. During this period, the ancestry of the ancient inhabitants of Rome started to appear similar to that of many present-day Mediterranean populations.&nbsp;</li>



<li><strong>Imperial Rome (27 BCE–300 CE)</strong>: This period spans the height of the Roman Empire, beginning when Augustus declared himself the first emperor of Rome and ending around the time when Emperor Diocletian established the Tetrarchy, dividing the rule of the Roman Empire among two emperors and their successors. This division paved the way for the eventual split of the empire into the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.<br>During this period, ancient Rome’s inhabitants had highly variable ancestry, exhibiting strong connections to populations from the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East.</li>



<li><strong>Late Antiquity (300–700 CE)</strong>: During the Late Antique Period, Rome experienced a dramatic decline in its political influence and population size. The inhabitants of Rome continued to be highly diverse, but Central and Northern European-related ancestry started to become more common, possibly as a result of contact with invading populations, including the Visigoths, Vandals, and Lombards.</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more"><strong>Learn More</strong></h2>



<p>In honor of Italian-American Heritage Month, we have added 25 historical individuals from these three critical periods in Roman history to our Historical Matches feature. </p>



<p>If you are a 23andMe+ Premium member, you can check it out to learn more about the ancient Romans and find out if you are distantly related to them or hundreds of other historical individuals.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Not yet a member? Learn more about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">all that 23andMe+ offers here</a>.<br></p>


New Historical Matches Could Connect You to the Ancient Romans


<p>You&#8217;re more than just your genetics; insights from DNA testing can help add dimensions to your family history, ancestors, and sometimes distant connections to populations worldwide.</p>



<p>When exploring those connections, you need a trusted guide like 23andMe. 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service offers the most comprehensive genetic ancestry breakdown on the market, with more than 3,500 geographic regions, reports on traits, Neanderthal Ancestry, your Ancestry Timeline, ancient maternal and paternal lineages, and more. The Ancestry Service also offers access to our pioneering DNA Relative Finder tool, 23andMe&#8217;s automatic family tree builder, and more than 30 trait reports, with insights into hair and eye color, taste preferences, and facial characteristics.</p>



<p>In this post, we&#8217;ll tell you a little about what you can learn using the 23andMe Ancestry Service.&nbsp; Oh, and in case you didn&#8217;t know, 23andMe is also the only DNA ancestry service that allows you to upgrade to include FDA-authorized health reports <em>anytime.</em></p>



<p>So, let&#8217;s look at 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service. And just a heads up before you dive in, it also happens to be a great time to do so. Now through October 15, 2024, we have our lowest price of the year on the 23andMe Ancestry Service for customers in the United States at just $59. Learn more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/">here</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-composition">Ancestry Composition</h2>



<p>Like everything at 23andMe, it all starts with science and a touch of wonder.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1008" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-1024x1008.jpg" alt="An image of a customers Ancestry composition on a mobile phone," class="wp-image-33273" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-1024x1008.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-300x295.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-768x756.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-880x867.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-1180x1162.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Here&#8217;s a fascinating fact: your DNA is not just a blueprint for what makes you you; it&#8217;s also a record of your ancestors&#8217; geographic origins.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/">23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition</a> helps you visualize your ancestral origins. 23andMe compares thousands of sections of DNA across your genome to an ever-expanding library of reference populations. Then, we use those comparisons to assign a closely matching reference population for each of those sections of your DNA, and then we tally them up. That allows our Ancestry Composition tool to break down the percentages of your DNA that link to different populations from Asia, Europe, the Americas, or Africa.</p>



<p>We arrange this breakdown into a hierarchy. At the top is the continent level, which is then broken down into the region, country, and local levels. That breakdown is all plotted on a map to help you visualize where your DNA is from.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Ancestry Composition report also shows specific Genetic Groups you match with, which may reveal connections to specific cultural, ethnic, or linguistic groups such as Germany’s historically Swabian-speaking communities, people from Italy’s Monregalese region, the Maya peoples of Mesoamerica, Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest, the Ashanti people from what is now Ghana, historical Sephardic Jewish communities of northeastern Mexico, and so much more.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Over the last few years, 23andMe has updated the granularity of results for customers with ancestral lines from around the world. Read about our recent updates here:<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/new-genetic-groups-for-japan-and-scandinavia"> Japan &amp; Scandinavia</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/germanic-europe-genetic-groups"> Germanic Europe</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-improves-ancestry-results-for-people-with-south-american-levantine-sephardic-and-mizrahi-genetic-ancestry"> South America, and the Levant</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/african-ethnolinguistic-groups/"> African ancestry</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/ancestry-composition-update-china/"> Chinese ancestry,</a><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-indigenous-caribbean-ancestry"> Indigenous Caribbean ancestry,</a><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-spanish-and-portuguese-ancestry"> Spanish and Portuguese ancestry,</a><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/indigenous-genetic-ancestry/"> Indigenous American ancestry</a>, and<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-customers-with-british-and-irish-ancestry"> British and Irish ancestry</a>.</p>



<p>23andMe customers can see their<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/"> Ancestry Composition here</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-timeline">Ancestry Timeline</h2>



<p>23andMe&#8217;s ancestry reports sometimes reveal surprises. You might find hidden African or Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, for instance. But 23andMe&#8217;s ancestry reports often augment what many of us already know about our heritage.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="1208" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline.jpg" alt="An image of 23andMe's Ancestry Timeline Feature on a mobile phone." class="wp-image-33323" style="width:295px;height:auto" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline.jpg 750w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-186x300.jpg 186w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-636x1024.jpg 636w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-546x880.jpg 546w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-733x1180.jpg 733w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>



<p>Information gleaned from 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service can sharply illuminate family lore passed down from those who came before. For instance, the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-timeline">Ancestry Timeline feature</a> uses statistical methodologies to estimate how many generations ago your most recent ancestor from a specific population likely lived. The Ancestry Timeline allows customers to go back seven or more generations to discover how their unique ancestral tapestry was woven together.</p>



<p>So, it might indicate how recently your ancestor lived and who had 100 percent Nigerian, Spanish, or Portuguese ancestry. This can sometimes clarify our family histories, offering a more vivid connection to past generations.</p>



<p>In addition, connecting to at least one parent using 23andMe can tell you what ancestry you inherited from your mother and what came from your father. For instance, you can see whether a small percentage of Italian ancestry comes from your mother&#8217;s or your father&#8217;s side.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-family-tree">Family Tree</h2>



<p>23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service also includes a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/ancestry/a-family-tree/">Family Tree</a> that automatically builds a tree highlighting your close DNA relationships that are part of DNA Relatives.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="195" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-195x300.jpg" alt="An image of 23andMe's Family Tree on a mobile phone." class="wp-image-33291" style="width:286px;height:auto" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-195x300.jpg 195w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-768x1179.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-667x1024.jpg 667w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-573x880.jpg 573w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-769x1180.jpg 769w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile.jpg 946w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px" /></figure>



<p>Customers can also manually add people who are not 23andMe customers or are not part of 23andMe DNA Relatives. It&#8217;s easy, convenient, and just a click away. To start your Family Tree, opt into DNA Relatives. This allows you to see and be seen by your genetic relatives on 23andMe. Then, the Family Tree’s algorithm populates a tree in one go with your predicted genetic relatives, so you can get a head start figuring out whether cousins and other relatives are on your mom’s or dad’s side of the family.</p>



<p>With an updated algorithm, 23andMe&#8217;s Family Tree predicts connections to your genetic relatives, so you don&#8217;t have to start from scratch. It&#8217;s a simple way for customers to explore their family ties, whether they are relatives they already know about or new ones. The hope is that the tool&#8217;s simplicity will help customers understand different family connections.</p>



<p>The joy of using 23andMe’s Ancestry Service is that it can introduce people to new relatives. With the simple Family Tree feature, you can see how these DNA relatives relate to you and where they are on your Family Tree.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-relatives">DNA Relatives</h2>



<p>23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service connects people.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="957" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33274" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg 957w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-280x300.jpg 280w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-768x822.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-822x880.jpg 822w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-1102x1180.jpg 1102w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_.jpg 1121w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 957px) 100vw, 957px" /></figure>



<p>Along with discovering more about their heritage, 23andMe offers customers the opportunity to choose to connect with other<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-family"> customers with whom they share DNA</a>.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#dnarelatives">23andMe&#8217;s DNA Relatives</a> tool looks at overlapping chromosome segments to help customers find or connect with close and distant relatives. For customers who choose to participate in DNA Relatives, it is optional; you must opt in to participate and can opt out of participating at any time. You can use it to help find new relatives in their family or reconnect with cousins.</p>



<p>The tool — which our scientists continue refining and improving— helps customers find new relatives and see how they are genetically connected. DNA Relatives allows customers to sort their relatives based on location, family names, how closely they are related, or the number of DNA segments they share. For DNA Relatives with whom you are sharing, you can also learn more about your genetic relationship by seeing a prediction of how you are related — such as via a second great-grandfather or great-grandmother.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>If customers choose to participate in DNA Relatives, they can begin a conversation to learn together about their shared family histories.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-haplogroups">Haplogroups</h2>



<p>Adding another dimension to those family connections, 23andMe also offers customers a chance to trace their maternal — and, in some cases, paternal — haplogroups.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="396" height="698" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Haplogroup-Image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-33324" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Haplogroup-Image.png 396w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Haplogroup-Image-170x300.png 170w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" /></figure>



<p>We say ‘some cases’ because the paternal haplogroup report only applies to genetically male people (individuals with a Y chromosome) or females whose close paternal male relatives (such as a father or brother) have tested on 23andMe. This is because paternal haplogroup assignments are made by tracing a person’s Y chromosome, which genetically female people do not inherit. That’s why the paternal haplogroup assignments are only available for some customers.</p>



<p>As our ancestors branched off into groups that migrated first throughout Africa and then out of Africa, genetic variants arose in those diverse groups, allowing us to trace lineages that descended from a common ancestor.</p>



<p>Maternal<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/23andmes-updated-maternal-haplogroup-report/"> haplogroups</a>, traced through users’ mitochondrial DNA, follow a customer&#8217;s maternal line and paternal haplogroups follow the path of the paternal line. Those haplogroups can offer customers insight into their place in the human story and, in some cases, meaningful<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-map"> insight into their heritage</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neanderthal-ancestry-report">Neanderthal Ancestry Report</h2>



<p>23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service doesn&#8217;t just help you add to your family story. It connects you to the human story, including your genetic connection to our ancient human cousins, the Neanderthals.</p>



<p>Even though Neanderthals vanished about 40,000 years ago, their DNA lives on in us. 23andMe’s Neanderthal Ancestry report can show you how much your ancestry traces back to Neanderthals using SNPs across all your autosomes and X chromosome(s).</p>



<p>Looking back can be both fun and enlightening because your DNA offers a biological record that can reveal ancestral connections to a time when modern humans first migrated from Africa and encountered our early human cousins, the Neanderthals.</p>



<p>Using advanced science, our team of population geneticists, engineers, and designers built a fun and engaging feature. The Neanderthal Ancestry Report also shows whether you have more or fewer Neanderthal variants than other 23andMe customers and what traits could be influenced by your Neanderthal DNA variants, such as your likelihood of feeling angry when hungry or “hangry.”</p>



<p>Scientists still uncover what these early connections mean, the traits we may carry because of those encounters, and what other ancient human DNA may still linger in our genome.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-traits">Traits</h2>



<p>Exploring your DNA offers deeper insight into more than just your ancestral origins and DNA relatives. It can also tell you about different traits that make you, you.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="957" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33276" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg 957w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-280x300.jpg 280w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-768x822.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-822x880.jpg 822w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-1103x1180.jpg 1103w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_.jpg 1125w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 957px) 100vw, 957px" /></figure>



<p>The Ancestry Service includes more than 30 Traits Reports. Our Traits Reports are a fun way to explore how your DNA makes you unique, from your food preferences, like whether you enjoy salty versus sweet snacks, to physical features, like whether you are more or less likely to have cheek dimples, a unibrow, or freckles.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-with-23andme-premium-nbsp">More with 23andMe+ Premium&nbsp;</h2>



<p>23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service includes innovative and scientifically robust features, more than 3,500 geographic regions, interactive features and ways to explore your connections to DNA Relatives. </p>



<p>The Ancestry Service also opens the door to exploring your genetics further. You can seamlessly upgrade to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium</a>, for more additional ancestry features, like Historical Matches<sup>SM</sup>, advanced DNA Relative filters, and access to more DNA Relatives. You get all that as well as more insights into your health.</p>



<p>Are you still waiting to be a customer? Find out more about 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/"> here</a>, or <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium here.</a></p>



<p></p>


Explore 23andMe’s Ancestry Service


<p>Hikers found his body 30 years ago lodged in the ice, still clad in his leather pants, with a flint blade tucked into a wicker sheath, his copper ax, arrows, and bow strewn about him. Adorning his skin were 61 tattoos, and lodged into his left shoulder was the arrowhead that ultimately killed him.</p>



<p>He was nicknamed Ötzi the Iceman because of the location where his 5,300 year-old mummified body was found in the Tyrolean Alps along the border of Italy and Austria. Ötzi’s life and death have intrigued scientists since being found on September 19th, 1991. Recently, Ötzi’s genome offered additional insights into life in ancient Europe after researchers conducted a more<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666979X2300174X"> in-depth sequencing of his DNA</a> in 2023.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-225x300.jpg" alt="An image of a life like model of Otzi on dislay at the Otzi museum in Bolzano Italy." class="wp-image-33345" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>A model of Otzi displayed at the Ötzi at museum in Bolzano, Italy. Photo by: Manuel Tassi (Mannivu)</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-historical-matches">Historical Matches</h2>



<p>In honor of this new study and the 33rd anniversary of the Ötzi’s discovery, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">&nbsp;23andMe+ Premium</a> members using<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches"> “Historical Matches”</a> can now learn if they might be connected to Ötzi through their DNA. Ötzi’s genome indicates he likely had darker skin, brown eyes, and was balding and that he was genetically related to the waves of people who migrated into Europe from Anatolia during the Neolithic Period (starting around 7000 BCE) and brought with them their knowledge of farming.</p>



<p>Historical Matches allows members to determine if they are connected to Ötzi or Beethoven or one of more than 450 other lesser-known historical people across the globe. The technology works by identifying places in your genome where you share identical DNA, inherited from a shared ancestor—possibly one who lived long before you or your historical match—creating a new way to learn more about your connections to the past. 23andMe will continue to add figures like Ötzi as they are published, offering customers more opportunities to connect their stories to past epochs. </p>



<p>“We are connecting you to real people from real places and times in history who had real lives,” said<a href="https://youtu.be/9pKN4WGvLq4?si=hYnLC6yONV9Nn1lC"> Éadaoin Harney, Ph.D., a 23andMe population geneticist</a> and an expert on ancient DNA who was instrumental in creating the Historical Matches feature. “These are real genetic connections, so we want to tell you the real stories of those individuals.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-otzi-s-genome">Ötzi’s Genome</h2>



<p>Ötzi’s story ended with his death at the hands of another. But discovering his body and all he carried offers scientists a rare glimpse into the people who lived in Europe during the Copper Age (5000-2000 BCE). It’s rare to find a body so well preserved from that long ago–more than a thousand years before the ancient Egyptians began practicing mummification.</p>



<p>Ötzi’s genetic information also offers some surprises for scientists. His closest genetic relatives are not the present-day people of the Tyrolean area. Instead, he is most closely related to the inhabitants of Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. That’s not because Ötzi was Sardinian. Instead, it is because of the unique history of the inhabitants of this Mediterranean island, and early human migration.</p>



<p>There were three primary waves of early human settlers in Europe, early hunter-gatherers, farmers from Anatolia, and herders from the Eurasian Steppe. The first hunter-gatherers were the first to arrive in the region over 10,000 years ago. Later, during the Neolithic period (starting around 7000 BCE), farmers from Anatolia migrated into the area. This group mixed with the local hunter-gatherer population. Then, during the Bronze Age (around 3000–2500 BCE), herders from the Eurasian Steppe migrated into the region. They brought Indo-European languages with them. </p>



<p>Over time, these three genetically distinct populations mixed. Most present-day European populations descend from all three groups. However, the final migration of Steppe herders didn’t make it as far as Sardinia.  Thus, the genetic makeup of present-day<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14523-6#:~:text=These%20events%20are%20typically%20modeled,aDNA%20data%20from%20the%20island."> Sardinians most closely resembles that of the early European farmers</a>. </p>



<p>Ötzi lived in Europe before the Steppe migration. His genetics led researchers to believe he likely belonged to one of the early European farming populations, which explains why he appears most genetically similar to present-day Sardinians.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-find-out-more">Find out more</h2>



<p>Many 23andMe customers will learn that they share a genetic connection to Ötzi via this shared ancient European farmer ancestry. </p>



<p>Connected or not, we&#8217;ve all learned more about human history through the discovery of his body and what he left behind. You can now visit a<a href="https://www.iceman.it/en/the-iceman/"> museum in Bolzano, Italy, dedicated to Ötzi</a>. There, you can learn more about his life and the insights gleaned from the discovery of his body.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="197" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Phone_Historical-Matches-197x300.jpg" alt="A view of a Historical Match with a Viking Woman on an mobile phone screen." class="wp-image-32706" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Phone_Historical-Matches-197x300.jpg 197w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Phone_Historical-Matches.jpg 459w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px" /></figure>



<p>Access to Historical Matches is among the many compelling reasons to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">join 23andMe+ Premium</a>.</p>



<p><br><a href="https://you.23andme.com/historical-matches/">Join 23andMe+</a> (requires 23andMe account).</p>


Are You Related to Ötzi the Iceman?


<p><br><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38658749/">A new ancient DNA study</a> sheds light on the social structure of the ancient Avars, a medieval population that dominated the Carpathian Basin between the 6th and 9th centuries. </p>



<p>The Avars ruled in what is now Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, and Serbia until they were overpowered by the Franks in attacks led by Charlemagne.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="634" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-1024x634.jpeg" alt="Examples of Avar Treasure that include gold and silver chalices and plates." class="wp-image-33235" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-1024x634.jpeg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-300x186.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-768x476.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-880x545.jpeg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-1180x731.jpeg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure.jpeg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-avar-period">The Avar Period </h2>



<p>In the study, researchers sequenced the genomes of 424 individuals from four different cemeteries dating to the Avar period (567–822 CE). </p>



<p>They discovered that each cemetery contained groups of closely related individuals. They reconstructed a family tree from individuals in one cemetery that spanned nine generations and connected 146 individuals, primarily via male lineages. </p>



<p>This confirmed that, like many nomadic people of the Eurasian Steppe, the Avars were a patrilocal society, meaning that adult females relocated to reside with their male partners and their families. They also found evidence that the Avars practiced levirate unions, whereby the men would marry the widows of their deceased male relatives. </p>



<p>This tradition is still practiced today in some parts of the world. The researchers even discovered one case where an Avar woman had children with four related men.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mixed-ancestry">Mixed Ancestry</h2>



<p>They also found that the Avars had mixed ancestry, with substantial ancestry tracing to northeast Asia. </p>



<p>This is consistent with claims that they originally descended from members of the Rouran Khaganate, a tribal confederation that spanned parts of what is now Mongolia, Kazakhstan, eastern Siberia, and northwestern China during the 4th–6th centuries. Most of the Avars also possessed West Eurasian ancestry, some of which may have been acquired before the arrival of the Avars in the Carpathian Basin. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



<p>In celebration of these exciting new discoveries, we’ve added 26 of the Avars whose genomes were published as part of this study to Historical Matches<sup>SM</sup>, our new <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium<sup>TM</sup></a> membership feature so that you can find out if you share a genetic connection to them.</p> 


Examples of Avar Treasure that include gold and silver chalices and plates.

Historical Matches — Page 3