One way of reconstructing the genetic past of a region is to look at its present haplogroup admixture and compare it to its colonies (if any). It is a good way to get rid of haplogroups that entered the modern population in between the periods studied. For example, if we compare Iceland to Scandinavia we notice that Iceland almost completely lacks any other haplogroup than R1a, R1b and I1, with a very small amount of N and Q, while modern Scandinavians also have low frequencies of E1b1b, G2a, I2b and J.
The ancient Greeks had colonies stretching from northern Spain to Russia and the Caucasus. Each colony was founded by people from a particular city in the Greek homeland. The Ionians of Miletus (near Kuşadası in Turkey) were particularly prolific, setting up 90 colonies, including all those on the Black Sea shores. After analysing the haplogroups in the region I noticed that J2 (especially J2a4b, a.k.a. J-M67) and E-M78 (esp. E-M123) were the main common denominator to both the Aegean coast of Anatolia and the Black Sea shores.
The Greco-Balkanese J2b and E-V13 are present on the north-western shores of the Black Sea, but on the Russian, Caucasian or Anatolian side. Their presence therefore cannot be attributed to Ionian colonists.
If the Ionian Greeks carried G2a, R1a or R1b lineages, these would be undistinguishable from the Indo-European, Caucasian and Anatolian influence in general.
Among maternal lineages, J, T, U1 and U3 stand out. U3 can be disqualified due to excessive frequencies reaching too deep inland, and the weaker presence in western Anatolia itself. T is also too widespread in Eurasia to be relevant. That only leaves J and U1 as relatively unambiguous traces of Ionian Greek settlements.
The ancient Greeks had colonies stretching from northern Spain to Russia and the Caucasus. Each colony was founded by people from a particular city in the Greek homeland. The Ionians of Miletus (near Kuşadası in Turkey) were particularly prolific, setting up 90 colonies, including all those on the Black Sea shores. After analysing the haplogroups in the region I noticed that J2 (especially J2a4b, a.k.a. J-M67) and E-M78 (esp. E-M123) were the main common denominator to both the Aegean coast of Anatolia and the Black Sea shores.
The Greco-Balkanese J2b and E-V13 are present on the north-western shores of the Black Sea, but on the Russian, Caucasian or Anatolian side. Their presence therefore cannot be attributed to Ionian colonists.
If the Ionian Greeks carried G2a, R1a or R1b lineages, these would be undistinguishable from the Indo-European, Caucasian and Anatolian influence in general.
Among maternal lineages, J, T, U1 and U3 stand out. U3 can be disqualified due to excessive frequencies reaching too deep inland, and the weaker presence in western Anatolia itself. T is also too widespread in Eurasia to be relevant. That only leaves J and U1 as relatively unambiguous traces of Ionian Greek settlements.