Ancient DNA from Lebanon
45 ancient people from Lebanon have had their genome published, from 1,825 BC to AD 1252. Here they are on a map and period by period, with their archaeological cultures and haplogroups.
Main archaeological groups: Lebanon IA3 (8), Lebanon Medieval (7), Lebanon MBA (6), Lebanon Hellenistic (3), Lebanon ImperialRoman (3).
Most frequent Y-DNA lines: J1a (7), R1b (6), E1b (3), G2a (3), T1a (3), Q1b (2).
Most frequent mtDNA lines: HV1b (3), H2a (2), J1b (2), H1b (1), H5 (1), HV0a (1).
📊 How Lebanon'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
3,000 to 1,000 BC (6 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,825 BC | Lebanon MBA | College Site | J1a2a1a2d2b~ | N1a3a |
| 1,825 BC | Lebanon MBA | College Site | J1a2a1a2d2b~ | |
| 1,800 BC | Lebanon MBA | College Site | H1bc | |
| 1,800 BC | Lebanon MBA | College Site | R2 | |
| 1,700 BC | Lebanon MBA | College Site | K1a2 | |
| 1,700 BC | Lebanon MBA | College Site | J2b1 | HV1b1 |
1,000 BC to AD 1 (17 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750 BC | Lebanon IA2 | Beirut | J1a2b1 | |
| 750 BC | Lebanon IA2 | Beirut | ||
| 537 BC | Lebanon IA3-1 | Beirut | ||
| 465 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | J1a2a1a2d2b2b2~ | |
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | J1a2a1a2d2b2b2~ | |
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | I2a1b1a2a2a | |
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | ||
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | H | |
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3-2 | Beirut | J1a2a1a2d2b2b2c4b2a~ | |
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | J1a2b2~ | |
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | G2a2a1a2b | |
| 425 BC | Lebanon IA3 | Beirut | ||
| 209 BC | Lebanon Hellenistic | Beirut | Q1b | |
| 173 BC | Lebanon Hellenistic | Beirut | E1b1b1a1 | |
| 93 BC | Lebanon Hellenistic | Beirut | ||
| 77 BC | Lebanon ImperialRoman | Beirut | G2a2b1a2a | |
| 34 BC | Lebanon EarlyRoman | Beirut | G2a2b2a |
AD 1 to 1000 (13 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 4 | Lebanon ImperialRoman | Beirut | ||
| AD 146 | Lebanon ImperialRoman | Beirut | ||
| AD 323 | Lebanon LateAntiquity ImperialRoman Roman | Qornet ed-Deir | HV1b | |
| AD 340 | Lebanon LateAntiquity ImperialRoman Roman | Qornet ed-Deir | T1a1a1b2b2b1a1a1 | T1 |
| AD 425 | Lebanon LateAntiquity Roman | Qornet ed-Deir | H2a5 | |
| AD 485 | Lebanon Medieval | Ej-Jaouze Tombs | T1a2 | |
| AD 487 | Lebanon Medieval | Ej-Jaouze Tombs | ||
| AD 512 | Lebanon Chhim Medieval | Chhim | R1b1a1b | |
| AD 544 | Lebanon Roman | Qornet ed-Deir | U3b | |
| AD 590 | Lebanon Medieval | Ej-Jaouze Tombs | ||
| AD 619 | Lebanon Chhim Medieval | Chhim | E1b1b1a1b2 | |
| AD 620 | Lebanon Medieval | Ej-Jaouze Tombs | ||
| AD 671 | Lebanon Chhim Medieval-o | Chhim |
After AD 1000 (9 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 1099 | Lebanon Medieval-4 | Sidon | R1b1a1b1a1a2c1 | T2 |
| AD 1150 | Lebanon Medieval | Sidon | E1b1b1a1b2 | J1b4a1 |
| AD 1150 | Lebanon Medieval-5 | Sidon | R1b1a1b1a1a2a | U5a1g |
| AD 1150 | Lebanon Medieval-3 | Sidon | J2a1a1a2b2a3b~ | HV1b |
| AD 1150 | Lebanon Medieval-2 | Sidon | R1b1a1b1a1a | H2a5 |
| AD 1225 | Lebanon Medieval | Sidon | T1a2 | J1b1a1 |
| AD 1240 | Lebanon Medieval-1 | Sidon | R1b1a1b1a1a2a | HV0a |
| AD 1248 | Lebanon Medieval-2 | Sidon | R1b1a1b1a1a2a1b3 | H5' 36 |
| AD 1252 | Lebanon Medieval | Sidon | Q1b2a1a~ | J1d1a1 |
Excavation sites
- Beirut 19, 750 BC to AD 146
- Sidon 9, AD 1099 to AD 1252
- College Site 6, 1,825 BC to 1,700 BC
- Ej-Jaouze Tombs 4, AD 485 to AD 620
- Qornet ed-Deir 4, AD 323 to AD 544
- Chhim 3, AD 512 to AD 671
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.