Pamiri (Shughni) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Tajikistan (Badakhshan) · Central Asia
The Pamiris live in the high valleys of the Pamir mountains, in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region and across the Panj river in Afghanistan, and most follow Ismaili Islam. Our average comes from Shughni speakers; Shughni is one of the Pamir languages, an Eastern Iranian group distinct from Tajik Persian that these mountain communities have kept for centuries. In our model, the Pamiri average is 38.5% steppe, 25.8% Iranian Neolithic, 16.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 7.9% South Asian proxy, 5.4% Ancient North Eurasian, 4.3% East Asian and 1.3% Ancient Northeast Asian. Compared with the lowland Tajik average (10.9% East Asian, 9.6% Ancient Northeast Asian), the Pamiris carry far less East Asian-related ancestry and more steppe ancestry. After a Tajik sample from Shugnan itself (0.0044), the closest modern averages are other Pamiri and Badakhshan samples, then the Yaghnobi and the Wakhi. The closest ancient groups are Tang-era individuals with a South Central Asian profile from Inner Mongolia (0.0284) and Xinjiang.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 38.5%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 25.8%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 16.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: Tajik (Shugnan), distance 0.0044
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (South Central Asian Profile), distance 0.0284
This page sums up what the DNA of the Pamiri (Shughni) sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Tajikistan (Badakhshan), listed in the G25 sheet as "Pamiri_Shugnan", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Pamiri (Shughni) average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Pamiri (Shughni) average, 38.5%, goes to Steppe herders (Yamnaya), ahead of Iranian Neolithic farmers (25.8%) and Anatolian Neolithic farmers (16.8%). The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) component reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC. The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (25.8%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran.
Smaller traces of East Asian and Ancient Northeast Asians (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.017), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Simorgh – Iranian Plateau Report
Closest modern populations to Pamiri (Shughni)
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Pamiri (Shughni) average is Tajik (Shugnan), at a distance of 0.004 (very close). Next come Pamiri (Rushan) at 0.015 and Tajik (Badakhshan) at 0.016. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Tajik (Shugnan) (0.004), Tajik (Badakhshan) (0.016) and Tajik (Rushan) (0.016). By the tenth closest (Pashtun (North Afghanistan)) the distance grows to 0.045, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tajik (Shugnan) | 0.0044 | Very close |
| 2 | Pamiri (Rushan) | 0.0154 | Very close |
| 3 | Tajik (Badakhshan) | 0.0158 | Very close |
| 4 | Tajik (Rushan) | 0.0159 | Very close |
| 5 | Pamiri (Badakhshan) | 0.0219 | Very close |
| 6 | Yaghnobi (other sample set) | 0.0328 | Close |
| 7 | Wakhi | 0.0382 | Close |
| 8 | Yaghnobi | 0.0403 | Close |
| 9 | Sarikoli (China) | 0.0431 | Close |
| 10 | Pashtun (North Afghanistan) | 0.0450 | 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 Pamiri (Shughni)
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Pamiri (Shughni) average is China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (South Central Asian Profile) (Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD), at 0.028, followed by Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (South Central Asian Profile) and Kazakhstan Late Antiquity Konyr Tobe. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. 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 | China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (South Central Asian Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0284 |
| 2 | Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (South Central Asian Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0313 |
| 3 | Kazakhstan Late Antiquity Konyr Tobe | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0399 |
| 4 | Mongolia Early Medieval Turkic Period (South Central Asian Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0450 |
| 5 | Mongolia Early Medieval Uygur Period (South Central Asian Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0467 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan Late Antiquity Kangju Kok-Mardan | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0479 |
| 7 | Mongolia IA Xiongnu Late (Scytho-Siberian West Eurasian Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0484 |
| 8 | Pakistan Early Modern Singoor | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0503 |
| 9 | Kyrgyzstan High-Late Medieval Burana | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0532 |
| 10 | Tajikistan HP Kushan Ksirov | Historical period | 0.0543 |
Ancient DNA from Tajikistan
Our ancient DNA database holds 13 individuals excavated in present-day Tajikistan, dated from about 6,273 BC to 8 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R2a (2), E1b (1) and G2a (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U2 (4), J1 (2) and T2 (2). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Pamiri (Shughni) population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 13 from Tajikistan.
Compare yourself with Pamiri (Shughni)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Pamiri (Shughni) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Pamiri (Shughni) 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 Pamiri (Shughni) individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Pamiri (Shughni). 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 Pamiri (Shughni) average. Your own DNA has its own story: Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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 Iranian-plateau ancestry: ancient regional core (Bronze/Iron Age Iranian Plateau, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid Persia) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 10 communities (Persian, Lur/Bakhtiari...
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Pamiri (Shughni)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Pamiri (Shughni) average is about 38.5% Steppe herders (Yamnaya), 25.8% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 16.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Pamiri (Shughni)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Pamiri (Rushan)), the closest modern populations to the Pamiri (Shughni) average are Tajik (Shugnan), Tajik (Badakhshan) and Tajik (Rushan). The closest ancient matches are China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (South Central Asian Profile), Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (South Central Asian Profile) and Kazakhstan Late Antiquity Konyr Tobe.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Pamiri (Shughni)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Pamiri (Shughni) 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 Pamiri (Shughni) ancestry?
For the Pamiri (Shughni) average, the regional report to choose is Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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.