Central Anatolian farmer map
Central Anatolian Neolithic farmers (Tepecik-Ciftlik) · Cappadocia, 7th millennium BC
How to read these maps: pale yellow means little or none of the selected ancestry, orange a medium share and deep red the highest values. Each dot is the average of a modern population: hover or tap it to see its numbers. Areas with no samples nearby stay blank.
Central Anatolian Neolithic farmers (Tepecik-Ciftlik)
Cappadocia, 7th millennium BC
Faded dots are populations the model fits less well: read their values with care. Click the map to zoom with your mouse wheel.
Who were the farmers of Tepecik-Ciftlik?
Tepecik-Ciftlik is a settlement mound in Cappadocia, central Turkey, close to the volcanic obsidian sources of the region. People farmed and herded there through the 7th millennium BC, in the same cultural world as the famous Neolithic town of Catalhoyuk.
Genomes from the site, published in 2016 with those of other early Anatolian farmers, show that central Anatolia had its own farming population. It was close to the farmers of the northwest such as Barcin, but with signs of contact with Neolithic peoples further east, towards the Levant and the Zagros. That makes Tepecik-Ciftlik a useful second Anatolian source: it captures the inland, eastern side of the Anatolian Neolithic rather than the branch that moved into Europe.
Because the two Anatolian sources are close relatives, the model can trade a share between them, so it is worth reading this map together with the Barcin one.
In our model, Central Anatolian farmer ancestry peaks today in Sicilian East (Italy), at 69.8%, followed by Greek Euboea Central (Greece) (68.7%) and Italian Sicily (Sicilian, Italy) (68.6%). The ten highest values come from Italy and Greece. It reaches at least 5% in 594 of the 1,998 populations on the map, and at least 20% in 235 of them. On the world scale the colours run from 0 to 46.7%, the level reached by the top 2% of populations, so the deepest red marks the real hot spots.
Where Central Anatolian farmer ancestry peaks today
| # | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sicilian East Italy | 69.8% |
| 2 | Greek Euboea Central Greece | 68.7% |
| 3 | Italian Sicily (Sicilian) Italy | 68.6% |
| 4 | Italian Sicily Syracuse (Sicilian) Italy | 67.4% |
| 5 | Sicilian West Italy | 66.8% |
| 6 | Italian Sicily Palermo (Sicilian) Italy | 66.3% |
| 7 | Italian Sicily Central (Sicilian) Italy | 66.0% |
| 8 | Greek Heptanese Kefalonia Greece | 65.3% |
| 9 | Greek Peloponnese Tsakonia Inland Greece | 64.4% |
| 10 | Italian Sicily Trapani (Sicilian) Italy | 63.9% |
Averages of modern populations, modelled with 17 reference sources. Tap a name to find it on the map.
The 17 ancestral sources
About these numbers
These maps show model estimates for population averages, not ethnic labels and not the result of any one person. Each source stands in for a wider ancestral population, and ancestries that have no source of their own in this set, such as Oceanian or Khoe-San ancestry, are absorbed by their closest relatives among the 17. Populations the model fits less well are shown with faded dots and count less in the colour surface.
Method: Each population average (Global25 coordinates) is modelled as a mix of 17 ancient and modern reference groups with non-negative least squares, shares adding up to 100%. Fit is the distance between the population and its best mix: the lower the better, above 0.06 the mix explains the population poorly. Top lists leave out the few populations these 17 groups cannot model at all (fit above 0.15). Data generated 1 October 2026, 1,998 populations on the map.
Keep exploring
For the full picture of one population, the Population Genetics Atlas has a page for each of hundreds of modern populations, with its ancient make-up and its closest modern and ancient neighbours.
Curious about your own DNA? The free Report Finder tests which of our reports fits your G25 coordinates, before you order anything.
Frequently asked questions
How is Tepecik-Ciftlik different from Barcin?
Both are Neolithic Anatolian farmers and close relatives. Tepecik-Ciftlik, in central Anatolia, shows more links with Neolithic peoples further east, while Barcin, in the northwest, is closer to the farmers who moved into Europe. Because they are so similar, the model can shift some share between them, so read both maps together.
Where is Central Anatolian farmer ancestry highest today?
In our model it is highest in Sicilian East (Italy) (69.8%), Greek Euboea Central (Greece) (68.7%) and Italian Sicily (Sicilian, Italy) (68.6%). These are averages of modern populations modelled with 17 reference sources, so individuals within each population can differ.
How are these ancient ancestry maps made?
Each modern population average, taken from published G25 coordinates, is modelled as a mix of the same 17 ancient and modern reference sources with a non-negative least-squares fit, the same family of method our reports use. The map then interpolates the share of the selected source between the sampled places and leaves areas with no nearby samples blank.
Does a high value mean direct descent from these people?
No. Each source stands in for a broader ancestral population, and the 17 sources are fitted together, so closely related sources can trade shares between them. Read a value as how much of this kind of ancestry the model needs to describe a population average, not as a family tree.
Why are some areas of the map blank?
The colour surface is only drawn within a few hundred kilometres of real samples. Oceans and regions without data stay empty instead of showing invented values. Each dot on the map is a real population average.