Georgian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Georgia · Caucasus
Georgia lies in the South Caucasus and holds a special place in ancient DNA research: the Caucasus hunter-gatherer reference used in our model comes from Kotias Klde, a Mesolithic cave in western Georgia. This page uses the Kartlian average from central Georgia. In our model, the ancestry is 42.1% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 34.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 10.4% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 6.7% steppe and 6.5% Natufian, and western Georgian groups such as Svans and Mingrelians score even higher on the Caucasus component. This deep local ancestry has persisted in the region for thousands of years: the closest ancient groups in our data all come from Georgia itself, from the Early Iron Age at Treli and Hellenistic-era Kamarakhevi to Late Antiquity and the early medieval period at Khimshiaant and Klde. The closest modern averages include Ahiska and Meskhetian samples, Andi from Dagestan, Kakhetian Georgians and people from Artvin in northeastern Turkey.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Caucasus hunter-gatherers 42.1%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 34.3%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 10.4%
- Closest modern population in our data: Ahiska, distance 0.0135
- Closest ancient group in our data: Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid), distance 0.0189
Georgian is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Georgian individuals sampled in Georgia, listed in the G25 sheet as "Georgian_Kartlian". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Georgian average
The ancient make-up of the Georgian average is led by Caucasus hunter-gatherers (42.1%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (34.3%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (10.4%). The Caucasus hunter-gatherers component reflects the hunter-gatherers of the Caucasus, a deep ancestry shared by the Caucasus, Anatolia and the Iranian plateau. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (34.3%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.031): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report
Closest modern populations to Georgian
Genetically, the Georgian average sits nearest to Ahiska at 0.014, Turkish (Meskhetian Ardahan) at 0.014 and Andi (Transcaucasian Profile) at 0.018. On our scale, a distance of 0.014 counts as very close. Even the tenth closest, Mingrelian (Tbilisi), is only 0.027 away: Georgian belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahiska | 0.0135 | Very close |
| 2 | Turkish (Meskhetian Ardahan) | 0.0137 | Very close |
| 3 | Andi (Transcaucasian Profile) | 0.0175 | Very close |
| 4 | Georgian (Kakhetian) | 0.0194 | Very close |
| 5 | Turkish (Meskhetian Georgia) | 0.0195 | Very close |
| 6 | Turkish (Artvin) | 0.0233 | Very close |
| 7 | Georgian (Adjarian) | 0.0236 | Very close |
| 8 | Karata (Transcaucasian Profile) | 0.0242 | Very close |
| 9 | Laz | 0.0244 | Very close |
| 10 | Mingrelian (Tbilisi) | 0.0265 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Georgian
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Georgian average is Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid) (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD), at 0.019, followed by Georgia IAII-Hellenistic Kamarakhevi (Pharnavazid) and Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Arsacid-Chosroid). That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0189 |
| 2 | Georgia IAII-Hellenistic Kamarakhevi (Pharnavazid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0213 |
| 3 | Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Arsacid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0217 |
| 4 | Georgia EIA Treli | Early Iron Age | 0.0224 |
| 5 | Georgia Early Medieval Zhinvali | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0228 |
| 6 | Georgia Late Antiquity Samtavro (Pharnavazid-Arsacid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0230 |
| 7 | Georgia Late Antiquity Zhinvali (Arsacid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0242 |
| 8 | Georgia Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Samtavro (Pharnavazid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0242 |
| 9 | Georgia Early Medieval Khuntsi | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0245 |
| 10 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Fiqris Gora (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0251 |
Ancient DNA from Georgia
Our ancient DNA database holds 253 individuals excavated in present-day Georgia, dated from about 24,400 BC to 1954 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J2a (30), G2a (22) and I2a (20), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are T2 (27), K1 (16) and U3 (16). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Georgian population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 253 from Georgia.
Compare yourself with Georgian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Georgian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Georgian and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Georgian individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Georgian. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Georgian average. Your own DNA has its own story: Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Levant or Caucasus ancestry: ancient regional core (Levant Iron Age, Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer, Kura-Araxes Bronze Age) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Maronite, Druze, Sunni...
More populations from Caucasus
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Georgian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Georgian average is about 42.1% Caucasus hunter-gatherers, 34.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 10.4% Iranian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Georgian?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Georgian average are Ahiska, Turkish (Meskhetian Ardahan) and Andi (Transcaucasian Profile). The closest ancient matches are Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid), Georgia IAII-Hellenistic Kamarakhevi (Pharnavazid) and Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Arsacid-Chosroid).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Georgian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Georgian average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Georgian ancestry?
For the Georgian average, the regional report to choose is Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.