Ancient DNA from Malawi
12 ancient people from Malawi have had their genome published, from 13,550 BC to 458 BC. Here they are on a map and period by period, with their archaeological cultures and haplogroups.
Main archaeological groups: Malawi LSA 8500BP (4), Malawi LSA 6000BP (3), Malawi LSA 15500BP (2), Malawi LSA 5200BP (2), Malawi LSA 2500BP (1).
Most frequent Y-DNA lines: B2b (6).
Most frequent mtDNA lines: L0d (3), H2a (2), L0k (2), L0a (1), L0f (1), L5b (1).
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Period by period
Before 10,000 BC (2 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13,550 BC | Malawi LSA 15500BP | Hora | B2b1a2~ | L0d3 |
| 13,550 BC | Malawi LSA 15500BP | Hora | B2b | L5b |
10,000 to 5,000 BC (4 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,945 BC | Malawi LSA 8500BP | Hora | B2b1 | H2a2a1 |
| 6,945 BC | Malawi LSA 8500BP | Hora | B2b1 | H2a2a1 |
| 6,068 BC | Malawi LSA 8500BP | Hora | ||
| 6,068 BC | Malawi LSA 8500BP | Hora | L0a2 |
5,000 to 3,000 BC (4 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,089 BC | Malawi LSA 6000BP | Fingira Rockshelter | B2b1 | L0d1c |
| 4,059 BC | Malawi LSA 6000BP | Fingira Rockshelter | B2b1a1~ | L0d1b2b |
| 3,206 BC | Malawi LSA 5200BP | Chencherere | L0k1 | |
| 3,200 BC | Malawi LSA 5200BP | Chencherere | L0k2 |
3,000 to 1,000 BC (1 individual)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,350 BC | Malawi LSA 6000BP | Fingira Rockshelter |
1,000 BC to AD 1 (1 individual)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 458 BC | Malawi LSA 2500BP | Fingira Rockshelter | L0f |
Excavation sites
- Hora 6, 13,550 BC to 6,068 BC
- Fingira Rockshelter 4, 4,089 BC to 458 BC
- Chencherere 2, 3,206 BC to 3,200 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.