Ancient DNA from Montenegro
27 ancient people from Montenegro have had their genome published, from 3,000 BC to AD 1100. Here they are on a map and period by period, with their archaeological cultures and haplogroups.
Main archaeological groups: Montenegro MLBA Cetina (7), Montenegro MLBA (6), Montenegro DocleaBjelovine Roman (5), Montenegro IA (2), Montenegro MLBA Cetina-o (2).
Most frequent Y-DNA lines: J2b (8), G2a (1), I (1), I2 (1), J2 (1).
Most frequent mtDNA lines: U5a (6), H1a (2), X1 (2), H (1), H1 (1), H1u (1).
📊 How Montenegro's DNA changed over 10,000 years: hunter-gatherers, farmers, steppe herders and later arrivals, period by period.
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Period by period
3,000 to 1,000 BC (19 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 BC | Montenegro LN Hvar | Vrbicka | G2a2a1 | HV0a |
| 3,000 BC | Montenegro Mesolithic LN Hvar-oWHG | Vrbicka | I2 | U5a1c |
| 1,350 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina | Velika Gruda | J2b2a1a1a1~ | U4b1a1a1 |
| 1,350 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina | Velika Gruda | U5a2d | |
| 1,350 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina | Velika Gruda | J2b2a1 | U5a2d |
| 1,350 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina-o | Velika Gruda | J2 | H3z1 |
| 1,343 BC | Montenegro MLBA | Velika Gruda | K2a | |
| 1,337 BC | Montenegro MLBA | Velika Gruda | J2b2a1 | U5a2d |
| 1,284 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina | Velika Gruda | J2b2a1a1a1a1a | H1+16311 |
| 1,275 BC | Montenegro LBA | Velika Gruda | U5a2 | |
| 1,257 BC | Montenegro MLBA | Velika Gruda | H | |
| 1,225 BC | Montenegro MLBA | Velika Gruda | ||
| 1,225 BC | Montenegro MLBA-o | Velika Gruda | I | H1u |
| 1,225 BC | Montenegro MLBA | Velika Gruda | J1b1a1 | |
| 1,225 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina | Velika Gruda | H7c2 | |
| 1,150 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina-o | Velika Gruda | H1at | |
| 1,150 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina | Velika Gruda | J2b2a1 | W+194 |
| 1,150 BC | Montenegro MLBA Cetina | Velika Gruda | H1at | |
| 1,140 BC | Montenegro MLBA | Velika Gruda | J2b2a1a1a1a1a1b~ | U5a1g |
1,000 BC to AD 1 (2 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 BC | Montenegro IA | Velika Gruda | X1'2'3 | |
| 600 BC | Montenegro IA | Velika Gruda | X1'2'3 |
AD 1 to 1000 (3 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 251 | Montenegro Dalmatia ImperialRoman-oAegean | Doclea Bjelovine | J2b2a1a1a1a1a1a | |
| AD 817 | Montenegro DocleaBjelovine Roman | Doclea Bjelovine | ||
| AD 990 | Montenegro DocleaBjelovine Roman | Doclea Bjelovine |
After AD 1000 (3 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 1058 | Montenegro DocleaBjelovine Roman | Doclea Bjelovine | J2b2a1a1a1b3~ | |
| AD 1086 | Montenegro DocleaBjelovine Roman | Doclea Bjelovine | ||
| AD 1100 | Montenegro DocleaBjelovine Roman | Doclea Bjelovine |
Excavation sites
- Velika Gruda 19, 1,350 BC to 600 BC
- Doclea Bjelovine 6, AD 251 to AD 1100
- Vrbicka 2, 3,000 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.