Ancient DNA from Iceland
45 ancient people from Iceland have had their genome published, from AD 925 to AD 1714. Here they are on a map and period by period, with their archaeological cultures and haplogroups.
Main archaeological groups: Iceland Viking (18), Iceland Christian (17), Iceland PreChristian (7), Iceland Early Christian (2), Iceland Early Christian-o (1).
Most frequent Y-DNA lines: R1a (11), R1b (11), I1a (5), I1 (3), R2 (1).
Most frequent mtDNA lines: J1c (4), H1 (3), H10 (3), H3g (3), K1a (3), T2b (3).
📊 How Iceland'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
AD 1 to 1000 (25 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Ondverdarnes | R1a1a1 | U5a1h |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Fremri-Svartardalur | U4a2 | |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Grimsstadir | R1a1a1b1a3a2b | K1a1b1b |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Gilsarteigur | R1a1a | H4a1a4b |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Hrolfsstadir | I1a1b1a4a2f1a1a7~ | H3g1 |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Masvatn | R1a1a1b1a3a2b | K1c1b |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Njarovik | R1a1a1 | H2a2b5a |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Neori-Tvera | K1a2a | |
| AD 925 | Iceland PreChristian | Smyrlaberg | I1a2a1a1a | H3g1a |
| AD 925 | Iceland PreChristian | Silastadir | R1b1a1b1a1a2c1a5b1a1 | J1c3g |
| AD 925 | Iceland PreChristian | Silastadir | I1a1b1a4a2 | T2b2b |
| AD 925 | Iceland PreChristian | Silastadir | J1b1a1a | |
| AD 925 | Iceland PreChristian | Surtsstadir | I1 | U5a1a1 |
| AD 925 | Iceland PreChristian | Svinadalur | I1 | I2 |
| AD 925 | Iceland Christian | Ytra-Gardshorn | J1c1a | |
| AD 950 | Iceland Viking | Hringsdalur | R1a1a1b1a3a2b1a~ | H3g1b |
| AD 950 | Iceland Viking | Hringsdalur | H+195 | |
| AD 950 | Iceland Christian | Brimnes | H1 | |
| AD 950 | Iceland Christian | Ormsstadir | R1b1a1b1a1a | K1a3a |
| AD 950 | Iceland PreChristian | Straumur | R1b1a1b1a1a2c1 | U4b1b1 |
| AD 950 | Iceland Christian | Vatnsdalur | H3 | |
| AD 950 | Iceland Christian | Vatnsdalur | R1a1a1b1a3a1b~ | H1c3a |
| AD 950 | Iceland Christian | Vatnsdalur | R1b1a1b1a1a | H4a1a1 |
| AD 950 | Iceland Viking | Ingiridarstadir | R1a1a1 | U5b1b1a |
| AD 950 | Iceland Viking | Ingiridarstadir | R1a1a1b1a3a1 |
After AD 1000 (20 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 1000 | Iceland Christian | Karlsnes | R1b1a1b1a1a | H5 |
| AD 1000 | Iceland Christian | Brimnes | I1 | H1 |
| AD 1096 | Iceland Christian | Tunga I Gönguskördum | R1b1a1b1a1a2d1a1 | T2e1 |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | R1b1a1b1a1a2d1a1 | U5b1g |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | R1b1a1b1a1a2b1 | J1c3f |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | I1a1b1a1d3b~ | H10+(16093) |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | H10+(16093) | |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | H24a | |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | R2 | J1c9 |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | R1a1a1 | H3v+16093 |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | H3a1a | |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | K1b2a2 | |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | T2b4 | |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | H10+(16093) | |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | R1b1a1b1a1a2c1a1a1a1a1 | H6a1a3a |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | I1a1b1a4a2 | T2b3b |
| AD 1100 | Iceland Viking | Hofstadir | I2a1 | |
| AD 1125 | Iceland Early Christian | Skeljastadir | R1a1a1b1a3a1a10~ | J1b1a1a |
| AD 1347 | Iceland Early Christian | Fossvellir | R1b1a1b1a1a2c1a1a | HV17a |
| AD 1714 | Iceland Early Christian-o | Kopavogur | R1b1a1b1a1a2c1a1h | H1 |
Excavation sites
- Hofstadir 14, AD 1100
- Silastadir 3, AD 925
- Vatnsdalur 3, AD 950
- Brimnes 2, AD 950 to AD 1000
- Hringsdalur 2, AD 950
- Ingiridarstadir 2, AD 950
- Fossvellir 1, AD 1347
- Fremri-Svartardalur 1, AD 925
- Gilsarteigur 1, AD 925
- Grimsstadir 1, AD 925
- Hrolfsstadir 1, AD 925
- Karlsnes 1, AD 1000
- Kopavogur 1, AD 1714
- Masvatn 1, AD 925
- Neori-Tvera 1, AD 925
- Njarovik 1, AD 925
- Ondverdarnes 1, AD 925
- Ormsstadir 1, AD 950
- Skeljastadir 1, AD 1125
- Smyrlaberg 1, AD 925
- Straumur 1, AD 950
- Surtsstadir 1, AD 925
- Svinadalur 1, AD 925
- Tunga I Gönguskördum 1, AD 1096
- Ytra-Gardshorn 1, AD 925
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.