Svan DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Georgia · Caucasus
Svans live in Svaneti, a set of high valleys on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus in north-western Georgia, famous for its medieval stone defence towers. Svan forms its own branch of the Kartvelian language family, the most divergent from Georgian, and the mountains kept the region relatively isolated for centuries. In our model, the Svan average is 61.9% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 29.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 4.8% Natufian and 4.2% steppe, the highest Caucasus hunter-gatherer share in our whole atlas, and, unlike lowland Mingrelians, there is no Levantine Neolithic share (12.2% in Mingrelians). After other Svan samples (distances 0.0055 and 0.0056), the nearest averages are the Abkhaz (0.0147), their neighbours across the mountains to the west, who speak an unrelated North-West Caucasian language, while Mingrelians from Zugdidi come at 0.0207 and the Mingrelian average at 0.0318. The closest ancient groups are Hellenistic-era people from Zhinvali in Georgia (0.0249) and Late Antique Alans from Kabardino-Balkaria.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Caucasus hunter-gatherers 61.9%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 29.1%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 4.8%
- Closest population outside Svaneti in our data: Abkhaz, distance 0.0147
- Closest ancient group in our data: Georgia Hellenistic Zhinvali (Pharnavazid-Artaxiad), distance 0.0249
This page sums up what the DNA of the Svan sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Georgia, listed in the G25 sheet as "Georgian_Svan", 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 Svan average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Svan average comes out as 61.9% Caucasus hunter-gatherers, 29.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 4.8% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). 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 (29.1%) 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 Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (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 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 Svan
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Georgian (Svaneti) first for Svan, at 0.006, then Svan (other sample set) and Abkhaz. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Svan (other sample set) (0.006), Abkhaz (0.015) and Abkhazian (0.016). By the tenth closest (Abkhasian (Gudauta)) the distance grows to 0.034, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgian (Svaneti) | 0.0055 | Very close |
| 2 | Svan (other sample set) | 0.0056 | Very close |
| 3 | Abkhaz | 0.0147 | Very close |
| 4 | Abkhazian | 0.0160 | Very close |
| 5 | Georgian (Megr) | 0.0187 | Very close |
| 6 | Mingrelian (Zugdidi) | 0.0207 | Very close |
| 7 | Mingrelian (Norio) | 0.0215 | Very close |
| 8 | Mingrelian (Jvari) | 0.0215 | Very close |
| 9 | Mingrelian | 0.0318 | Close |
| 10 | Abkhasian (Gudauta) | 0.0338 | 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 Svan
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Svan average is Georgia Hellenistic Zhinvali (Pharnavazid-Artaxiad) (Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC), at 0.025. Kabardino-Balkaria LIA-Late Antiquity Alan Zaragizh and Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Pharnavazid-Chosroid) come 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 Hellenistic Zhinvali (Pharnavazid-Artaxiad) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0249 |
| 2 | Kabardino-Balkaria LIA-Late Antiquity Alan Zaragizh | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0276 |
| 3 | Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Pharnavazid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0283 |
| 4 | Georgia Late Antiquity Fiqris Gora (Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0284 |
| 5 | Georgia EIA Bazaleti | Early Iron Age | 0.0285 |
| 6 | Turkey Anatolia Hellenistic-Roman Republic Samsun (Transcaucasian Profile) | Roman Republic, c. 500-27 BC | 0.0289 |
| 7 | Georgia Late Antiquity Tchiatura | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0299 |
| 8 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Samshvilde (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0306 |
| 9 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Lafanaantkari (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0314 |
| 10 | Georgia Late Antiquity Zhinvali (Arsacid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0324 |
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 Svan population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 253 from Georgia.
Compare yourself with Svan
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Svan average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Svan 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 Svan individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Svan. 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 Svan 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 Svan?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Svan average is about 61.9% Caucasus hunter-gatherers, 29.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 4.8% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Svan?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Georgian (Svaneti)), the closest modern populations to the Svan average are Svan (other sample set), Abkhaz and Abkhazian. The closest ancient matches are Georgia Hellenistic Zhinvali (Pharnavazid-Artaxiad), Kabardino-Balkaria LIA-Late Antiquity Alan Zaragizh and Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Pharnavazid-Chosroid).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Svan?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Svan 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 Svan ancestry?
For the Svan 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.