Mingrelian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Georgia · Caucasus
Mingrelians live in Samegrelo, in the lowlands of western Georgia near the Black Sea, the heart of ancient Colchis, the land of the Golden Fleece in Greek legend. Their language, Mingrelian, belongs to the Kartvelian family and forms the Zan branch together with Laz, spoken further south-west in Turkey. In our model, the Mingrelian average is 60.8% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 24.9% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 12.2% Levantine Neolithic and 2.1% Iranian Neolithic. The Caucasus share is far above that of central Georgians (42.1% in Kartli) and the second highest in our atlas, after the Svans. The nearest modern averages are other western Georgians: Mingrelians from Obuji and Nokalakevi, western Georgians and Imeretians (0.0137 to 0.0164), with their Abkhaz neighbours at about 0.029. The closest ancient group comes from Nokalakevi itself, in Samegrelo, in the Achaemenid to Hellenistic era (distance 0.0202), followed by Late Antique and early medieval people from Samshvilde in Georgia.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Caucasus hunter-gatherers 60.8%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 24.9%, Levantine Neolithic farmers 12.2%
- Closest population outside the Mingrelian samples: Georgian (West), distance 0.0137
- Closest ancient group in our data: Georgia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Nokalakevi (Pharnavazid), distance 0.0202
Where does Mingrelian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Mingrelian individuals sampled in Georgia and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Mingrelian average
The ancient make-up of the Mingrelian average is led by Caucasus hunter-gatherers (60.8%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (24.9%) and Levantine Neolithic farmers (12.2%). 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 (24.9%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Iranian Neolithic farmers (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.027): 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 Mingrelian
Genetically, the Mingrelian average sits nearest to Mingrelian (Obuji) at 0.014, Georgian (West) at 0.014 and Mingrelian (Nokalakevi) at 0.014. On our scale, a distance of 0.014 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Georgian (West) (0.014), Georgian (Imer) (0.016) and Georgian (Tbilisi) (0.018). By the tenth closest (Abkhasian (Gudauta)) the distance grows to 0.036, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mingrelian (Obuji) | 0.0137 | Very close |
| 2 | Georgian (West) | 0.0137 | Very close |
| 3 | Mingrelian (Nokalakevi) | 0.0138 | Very close |
| 4 | Georgian (Imer) | 0.0164 | Very close |
| 5 | Georgian (Tbilisi) | 0.0177 | Very close |
| 6 | Abkhazian | 0.0286 | Close |
| 7 | Svan (other sample set) | 0.0305 | Close |
| 8 | Abkhaz | 0.0313 | Close |
| 9 | Svan | 0.0318 | Close |
| 10 | Abkhasian (Gudauta) | 0.0358 | 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 Mingrelian
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Mingrelian, Georgia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Nokalakevi (Pharnavazid) (Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC) comes first, at 0.020, with Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Samshvilde (Chosroid) next. 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 Achaemenid-Hellenistic Nokalakevi (Pharnavazid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0202 |
| 2 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Samshvilde (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0215 |
| 3 | Georgia Roman Empire Nastakisi | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0253 |
| 4 | Georgia MBA Trialeti Atskuri | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0263 |
| 5 | Georgia Late Antiquity Tchiatura | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0272 |
| 6 | Georgia Late Antiquity Fiqris Gora (Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0277 |
| 7 | Adygea EBA Maykop Late | Early Bronze Age | 0.0294 |
| 8 | Georgia MBA Sagvarjile | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0301 |
| 9 | Georgia IAII-Achaemenid Kamarakhevi | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0304 |
| 10 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0305 |
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 Mingrelian population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 253 from Georgia.
Compare yourself with Mingrelian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Mingrelian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Mingrelian 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 Mingrelian individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Mingrelian. 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 Mingrelian 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 Mingrelian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Mingrelian average is about 60.8% Caucasus hunter-gatherers, 24.9% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 12.2% Levantine Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Mingrelian?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Mingrelian (Obuji)), the closest modern populations to the Mingrelian average are Georgian (West), Georgian (Imer) and Georgian (Tbilisi). The closest ancient matches are Georgia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Nokalakevi (Pharnavazid), Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Samshvilde (Chosroid) and Georgia Roman Empire Nastakisi.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Mingrelian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Mingrelian 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 Mingrelian ancestry?
For the Mingrelian 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.