Ancient DNA from Tunisia
71 ancient people from Tunisia have had their genome published, from 6,153 BC to 274 BC. Here they are on a map and period by period, with their archaeological cultures and haplogroups.
Main archaeological groups: Tunisia Punic (46), Tunisia Punic-oAfrica (7), Tunisia Punic-oAfrica2 (6), Tunisia Punic-oAfrica1 (4), Tunisia N-2 (3).
Most frequent Y-DNA lines: E1b (6), J2b (5), R1b (4), T1a (4), G2a (3), J2a (3).
Most frequent mtDNA lines: H1 (5), T2b (5), U6a (5), K1a (4), U6c (3), H1e (2).
📊 How Tunisia'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
10,000 to 5,000 BC (4 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,153 BC | Tunisia N | Djebba | U6a3+185 | |
| 5,950 BC | Tunisia N | Djebba | E1b1b1a1 | U6a |
| 5,100 BC | Tunisia N-1 | Dukanet el Ketif | U6d | |
| 5,089 BC | Tunisia N-1 | Dukanet el Ketif | U6d |
5,000 to 3,000 BC (4 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,839 BC | Tunisia N-2 | Dukanet el Ketif | E1b1b1a1 | L3f1b+16292 |
| 4,777 BC | Tunisia N-2 | Dukanet el Ketif | U5b2b1 | |
| 4,402 BC | Tunisia N-2 | Dukanet el Ketif | E1b1b1a1 | U6b |
| 3,914 BC | Tunisia LN | Hergla | T1a1a1a1 | R0a2 |
1,000 BC to AD 1 (63 individuals)
| Date | Group | Site | Y-DNA | mtDNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 641 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica1 | Kerkouene | ||
| 641 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica1 | Kerkouene | U6a6b1 | |
| 597 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | ||
| 597 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | H1 | |
| 555 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica | Kerkouene | U6c1 | |
| 555 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica | Kerkouene | U6c1 | |
| 555 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica | Kerkouene | U6c1 | |
| 553 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | ||
| 553 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | I5 | |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | ||
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | H5 | |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | J2a1a2b2a2b2~ | H74 |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | H1 | |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | J1a2a1a2d2b2b2~ | H1cj |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | W4 | |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | T1b | |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | E1b1b1b2a1a1a1a1f~ | H1 |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | G2a2a1a2a1a | X2b+226 |
| 550 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | ||
| 549 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | ||
| 549 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | HV0+195 | |
| 542 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | H1 | |
| 535 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica1 | Kerkouene | R1b1b | |
| 535 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica1 | Kerkouene | R1b1b | T2b |
| 514 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | H1 | |
| 492 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica | Kerkouene | T1a1a1a1 | U6a3e |
| 484 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica | Kerkouene | E1a1a2d~ | H1v |
| 480 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | J2b2a1 | |
| 480 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | J2b2a1 | H1ag |
| 457 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | G2a2b2a1a1 | H1e6 |
| 438 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | T2b | |
| 431 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | H41a | |
| 429 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica2 | Kerkouene | ||
| 429 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica2 | Kerkouene | L3e2 | |
| 425 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | T1a2 | T2b |
| 407 BC | Tunisia Punic | Kerkouene | J2b2a1 | H7a1 |
| 393 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica2 | Kerkouene | ||
| 393 BC | Tunisia Punic-oAfrica2 | Kerkouene | M1a1b1 | |
| 387 BC | Tunisia Punic | Carthage | IJK | |
| 387 BC | Tunisia Punic | Carthage | R1b1a1b | U4b1b1 |
Excavation sites
- Kerkouene 40, 641 BC to 275 BC
- Carthage 23, 387 BC to 274 BC
- Dukanet el Ketif 5, 5,100 BC to 4,402 BC
- Djebba 2, 6,153 BC to 5,950 BC
- Hergla 1, 3,914 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.