Ancient DNA is helping scientists understand the origins of Bronze Age populations in the Aegean and how they are connected to modern Greeks.
A genetic study led by Florian Clemente and published in the journal Cell shows that communities living around the Aegean Sea during the Bronze Age were closely related to earlier local farming populations and share strong genetic links with modern Greeks.
The findings provide one of the clearest genetic pictures yet of the people behind famous Bronze Age civilizations, including the Minoans of Crete and early mainland Greek societies.
Ancient genomes reveal early Aegean population history
Researchers analyzed ancient DNA taken from human remains found at archaeological sites across Greece and the Aegean region. The team screened dozens of skeletal samples and selected six individuals whose DNA was well preserved enough for full genome sequencing.
These individuals lived between about 3,000 and 1,900 BCE. Their remains were discovered at sites linked to several well-known Bronze Age cultures, including the Minoans of Crete, the Cycladic island societies, and the early Helladic populations of mainland Greece.
Ancient DNA reveals that Bronze Age populations of the Aegean, including the Minoans and early mainland societies, share strong genetic links with modern Greeks.
The study, led by Florian Clemente shows deep population continuity in Greece dating back thousands of years. pic.twitter.com/3mRxWrLhRf
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) March 13, 2026
Scientists extracted DNA from the dense petrous bone of the skull, which often preserves ancient genetic material. Radiocarbon dating confirmed the age of the remains and helped place each individual within a specific cultural period.
The genomes provided a rare opportunity to examine the genetic makeup of early Aegean societies in detail.
Early Bronze Age cultures shared a similar genetic background
Despite clear cultural differences in art, architecture, and burial customs, the genetic data revealed that Early Bronze Age populations across the Aegean were remarkably similar.
The Minoans of Crete, the Cycladic islanders, and mainland Helladic communities all shared a closely related genetic profile. Researchers found that more than 65 percent of their ancestry came from earlier Neolithic farmers who had lived in the region thousands of years earlier.
Another portion of their ancestry came from populations related to ancient groups from the Caucasus and nearby regions of western Asia. This suggests that most of the people who built the early Aegean civilizations were descendants of local farming communities, with some genetic influence arriving from the east.
The results support long-standing archaeological ideas that Bronze Age societies in the region developed through a mixture of local continuity and limited migration.
Steppe ancestry appears later in mainland Greece
The study also discovered an important change in the genetic makeup of Aegean populations during the Middle Bronze Age.
Two individuals from northern Greece showed evidence of ancestry connected to populations from the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, a large region north of the Black Sea. These steppe groups are known to have migrated widely across Europe during the Bronze Age.
Genetic analysis showed that the northern Greek individuals carried a much higher level of hunter-gatherer ancestry associated with the steppe. This pattern was largely absent in earlier Aegean populations.
Researchers estimate that this steppe-related gene flow reached the Aegean region sometime around 2,300 BCE. The influence appears to have entered mainland Greece through land routes in southeastern Europe rather than by sea.
Archaeological evidence also suggests contact between steppe communities and southeastern Europe during this period.
Modern Greeks show strong genetic continuity
One of the most striking results of the study concerns the relationship between ancient populations and people living in Greece today.
Genetic comparisons show that modern Greeks share most of their ancestry with Bronze Age populations from northern Greece. In some models, present-day Greek individuals derive more than 90 percent of their ancestry from these Middle Bronze Age populations. This suggests a strong level of genetic continuity in the region across thousands of years.
Although later historical events brought additional migrations into Greece, the genetic foundation of the population remained largely tied to Bronze Age Aegean groups.
Insights into appearance and lifestyle
The genetic data also allowed researchers to make limited predictions about physical traits.
Several Bronze Age individuals likely had brown eyes, dark hair, and relatively dark skin compared with many modern Europeans. These traits align with artistic depictions seen in ancient wall paintings from Minoan Crete.
The genomes also showed that these individuals were probably lactose intolerant as adults. This means they likely could not digest fresh milk, even though dairy products were probably part of their diet.
A clearer picture of early European history
The study provides one of the most detailed genetic analyses yet of the ancient populations that shaped early European civilization.
Researchers say the results highlight the complex mixture of local development and migration that formed Bronze Age societies around the Aegean Sea.
The findings also help explain how ancient cultures such as the Minoans and early Greek populations contributed to the ancestry of modern Greeks.
Future studies using additional ancient DNA from neighboring regions could further clarify how migrations and cultural exchanges shaped the early history of the eastern Mediterranean.
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