Ancient DNA from Estonia
86 ancient people from Estonia have had their genome published, from 4,810 BC to AD 1575. Here they are on a map and period by period, with their archaeological cultures and haplogroups.
86ancient individuals
36excavation sites
7published studies
4,810 BColdest individual
Main archaeological groups: Estonia EarlyMedieval EarlyViking (34), Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves (19), Estonia EIA TarandGraves (9), Estonia Medieval (7), Estonia LN (5).
Most frequent Y-DNA lines: R1a (28), N1a (12), I1a (11), I1 (9), CT (2), F (2).
Most frequent mtDNA lines: U4a (6), J1c (5), T2a (5), H16 (4), H6a (3), U5a (3).
📊 How Estonia's DNA changed over 10,000 years: hunter-gatherers, farmers, steppe herders and later arrivals, period by period.
Find the ancient individuals closest to your own town →
Period by period
5,000 to 3,000 BC (6 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,810 BC | Estonia EMN Narva | Veibri | U5b1 | |
| 4,644 BC | Estonia EMN Narva | Kivisaare | R1b1a1 | U4a1 |
| 3,716 BC | Estonia MN-2 | Tamula | R1 | U4d2 |
| 3,636 BC | Estonia N | Kudruküla | U4a | |
| 3,538 BC | Estonia N | Kudruküla | R | U2e1 |
| 3,457 BC | Estonia MN-1 | Tamula | U5a1d2b |
3,000 to 1,000 BC (15 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,700 BC | Estonia LN | Ardu | R1a1a1 | T2a1 |
| 2,700 BC | Estonia LN-2 | Ardu | R1a1a1 | U5b2c |
| 2,503 BC | Estonia LN CordedWare | Sope | ||
| 2,492 BC | Estonia LN CordedWare-1 | Sope | H5a1 | |
| 2,492 BC | Estonia Sope LN CordedWare | Sope | ||
| 2,466 BC | Estonia LN | Kunila | R1a1a1 | J1c3 |
| 2,466 BC | Estonia LN | Kunila | R1a1a1 | J1c3 |
| 2,450 BC | Estonia LN | Kunila | R1a1a1 | U5b1b |
| 2,245 BC | Estonia LN | Karlova | H1f1a | |
| 1,180 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Toomani-5 | R1a1a1 | |
| 1,125 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Lõokese | R1a1a1 | |
| 1,122 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Jõelähtme-7 | R1a1a1 | |
| 1,099 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Toomani-5 | R1a1a | T2a1b1a1 |
| 1,096 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Toomani-5 | ||
| 1,087 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Vehendi-11 | R1a1a1b2a2a1d6~ |
1,000 BC to AD 1 (24 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Toomani-12 | ||
| 987 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Iru-1 | F | T1a1b |
| 986 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Kangru-1 | CT | J1c4 |
| 968 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Jõelähtme-34 | R1a1a1 | |
| 956 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Napa-3 | R1a1a1 | |
| 869 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Lõokese | R1a1a1 | |
| 869 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Kangru-8 | R1a1a1 | |
| 837 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Parna-1 | R1a1a1 | U4a2b |
| 817 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Napa-4 | R1a | W6 |
| 800 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Parna-1 | ||
| 790 BC | Estonia LBA TarandGraves-o | Lõokese | F | J1b1a |
| 659 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Hiiemägi | N1a1a1a1a | |
| 633 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Lastekangur-2 | K1b2a | |
| 630 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Lastekangur-2 | R1a1a1 | |
| 623 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Hiiemägi | R1a1a1 | |
| 622 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Ilmandu-3 | L1b1 | T2a1b1a1 |
| 543 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Tandemägi-4 | N1a1a1a1a1a1a1b | |
| 512 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Ilmandu-3 | HV0 | |
| 484 BC | Estonia LBA StoneCistGraves | Jaani-A | R1a1a1 | |
| 439 BC | Estonia EIA StoneCistGraves | Ilmandu-3 | H6a1a | |
| 395 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Loona-1 | R1a1a1b1a2b | |
| 279 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Kurevere | ||
| 272 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Poanse-1 | CT | U5a1d |
| 154 BC | Estonia EIA TarandGraves | Kurevere | N1a1a1a1a1a1~ |
AD 1 to 1000 (34 individuals)
After AD 1000 (7 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 1200 | Estonia Medieval | Kukruse | R1a | U4d1 |
| AD 1200 | Estonia Medieval | Pada | N | U4a2b |
| AD 1250 | Estonia Medieval | Karja | N1a1a1a1a1a1a | |
| AD 1350 | Estonia Medieval | Vaabina | U5a2a1 | |
| AD 1375 | Estonia Medieval | Otepää-Piiri-St | N1a1a1a | |
| AD 1575 | Estonia Medieval | Vana-Kuuste | P1 | H11a1 |
| AD 1575 | Estonia Medieval | Mäletjärve | J2b2a1b~ |
Excavation sites
- Salme 34, AD 706 to AD 830
- Ilmandu-3 3, 622 BC to 439 BC
- Kunila 3, 2,466 BC to 2,450 BC
- Lõokese 3, 1,125 BC to 790 BC
- Sope 3, 2,503 BC to 2,492 BC
- Toomani-5 3, 1,180 BC to 1,096 BC
- Ardu 2, 2,700 BC
- Hiiemägi 2, 659 BC to 623 BC
- Kudruküla 2, 3,636 BC to 3,538 BC
- Kurevere 2, 279 BC to 154 BC
- Lastekangur-2 2, 633 BC to 630 BC
- Parna-1 2, 837 BC to 800 BC
- Tamula 2, 3,716 BC to 3,457 BC
- Iru-1 1, 987 BC
- Jaani-A 1, 484 BC
- Jõelähtme-34 1, 968 BC
- Jõelähtme-7 1, 1,122 BC
- Kangru-1 1, 986 BC
- Kangru-8 1, 869 BC
- Karja 1, AD 1250
- Karlova 1, 2,245 BC
- Kivisaare 1, 4,644 BC
- Kukruse 1, AD 1200
- Loona-1 1, 395 BC
- Mäletjärve 1, AD 1575
- Napa-3 1, 956 BC
- Napa-4 1, 817 BC
- Otepää-Piiri-St 1, AD 1375
- Pada 1, AD 1200
- Poanse-1 1, 272 BC
- Tandemägi-4 1, 543 BC
- Toomani-12 1, 1,000 BC
- Vaabina 1, AD 1350
- Vana-Kuuste 1, AD 1575
- Vehendi-11 1, 1,087 BC
- Veibri 1, 4,810 BC
Source: Allen Ancient DNA Resource v66 (Mallick et al. 2024), individuals with a date and coordinates; samples the AADR flags as misdated are left out. Group names are those of the original studies. Haplogroups are shown when they could be read from the ancient DNA.
Which of these ancient peoples are in your DNA?
Our Sarmatia (Balto-Slavic world) report compares your own raw DNA file with the ancient and modern populations of the region, era by era, and explains your result in plain language with your haplogroups.