Ancient DNA from Syria
21 ancient people from Syria have had their genome published, from 2,600 BC to AD 1222. Here they are on a map and period by period, with their archaeological cultures and haplogroups.
Main archaeological groups: Syria EMBA (16), Syria Umayyad (2), Syria EarlyMedieval Byzantine (1), Syria EMBA IA (1), Syria Medieval-oAfrica (1).
Most frequent Y-DNA lines: J1a (5), E1b (2), F (1), T1a (1).
Most frequent mtDNA lines: J1b (2), H14a (1), J2a (1), K1a (1), R0a (1), T2c (1).
📊 How Syria'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 (16 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,600 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | E1b1b1b2a1a1a1a1f~ | J1b1b1 |
| 2,600 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | E1b1b1b2a1a~ | |
| 2,520 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | J1a2a1a2d2b~ | T2c1+146 |
| 2,325 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | H14a | |
| 2,054 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | F | J1b1b1 |
| 1,964 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | U8b1a2b | |
| 1,900 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | ||
| 1,900 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | J1a2a1a2 | |
| 1,900 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | ||
| 1,900 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | U3b2a1 | |
| 1,900 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | ||
| 1,900 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | ||
| 1,900 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | T1a1a1b2 | K1a4 |
| 1,850 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | J1a2a1a2d2b~ | |
| 1,850 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh | ||
| 1,850 BC | Syria EMBA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh |
1,000 BC to AD 1 (1 individual)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 850 BC | Syria EMBA IA | Ebla / Tell Mardikh |
AD 1 to 1000 (3 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 715 | Syria Umayyad | TellQarassa | R0a2 | |
| AD 717 | Syria Umayyad | TellQarassa | J1a2a1a2d2b2b2c4d~ | J2a2a1a1 |
| AD 741 | Syria EarlyMedieval Byzantine | Tell Masaikh | J1a2a1a2d2b2b2~ |
After AD 1000 (1 individual)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 1222 | Syria Medieval-oAfrica | Tell Masaikh |
Excavation sites
- Ebla / Tell Mardikh 17, 2,600 BC to 850 BC
- Tell Masaikh 2, AD 741 to AD 1222
- TellQarassa 2, AD 715 to AD 717
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.