• Don't want to see ads? Install an adblocker like uBlock Origin or use a Europe-based privacy-friendly browser like Vivaldi or Mullvad.

Genetic affinities between an ancient Greek colony and its metropolis: the case of 2 Amvrakia in western Greece

Closest G25 distances to Modern Populations (scaled):

Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Roman(31BC-330AD):Ten_Pel_Rom_4

0.0458514 Greek_Dodecanese
0.04609588 Romaniote_Jew
0.04648961 Italian_Calabria
0.04714169 Sephardic_Jew
0.0475853 Greek_Kos
0.04957683 Italian_Jew
0.04962964 Ashkenazi_Germany
0.04964607 Greek_Crete
0.05174177 Sephardic_Jew_o
0.0520549 Syrian_Jew



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Roman(31BC-330AD):Ten_Pel_Rom_3

0.0322754 Cypriot
0.03573508 Greek_Cappadocia
0.03822079 Greek_Dodecanese
0.04084988 Druze
0.04204014 Syrian_Jew
0.0425163 Sephardic_Jew
0.0427796 Romaniote_Jew
0.04320545 Greek_Central_Anatolia
0.04325075 Lebanese_Christian
0.04338243 Lebanese_Druze



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Roman(31BC-330AD):Ten_Pel_Rom_2

0.02610403 Greek_Dodecanese
0.02850136 Sephardic_Jew
0.02905266 Romaniote_Jew
0.02907932 Greek_Crete
0.03010766 Greek_Kos
0.03024162 Italian_Jew
0.03143781 Cypriot
0.03325009 Ashkenazi_Germany
0.03436737 Ashkenazi_Poland
0.03491171 Italian_Campania



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Roman(31BC-330AD):Ten_Pel_Rom_1

0.0323788 Greek_Kos
0.03522668 Greek_Dodecanese
0.03707533 Cypriot
0.03998839 Greek_Central_Anatolia
0.04206284 Romaniote_Jew
0.04580868 Greek_Crete
0.04649959 Italian_Jew
0.04653327 Ashkenazi_Germany
0.04682986 Druze
0.04855432 Greek_Cappadocia



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Hellenistic-Roman(100BC-100AD):Ten_Pel_LH

0.04520013 French_Corsica
0.04632015 Italian_Lazio
0.04844223 Italian_Marche
0.04868442 Italian_Tuscany
0.04890887 Italian_Umbria
0.0508771 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05105598 Greek_Thessaly
0.05108041 Italian_Apulia
0.05119939 Greek_Peloponnese
0.05180156 Italian_Molise



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Hellenistic(323-31BC):Ten_Pel_Hel_2

0.03483456 Italian_Campania
0.03500186 Greek_Dodecanese
0.03595529 Italian_Calabria
0.03610262 Greek_Kos
0.03733023 Italian_Basilicata
0.03747526 Italian_Apulia
0.03787071 Greek_Crete
0.03987502 Italian_Jew
0.0409498 Ashkenazi_Germany
0.04122376 Italian_Abruzzo



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Hellenistic(323-31BC):Ten_Pel_Hel_1

0.03568794 Italian_Campania
0.03694085 Italian_Apulia
0.03700279 Italian_Basilicata
0.03759008 Italian_Calabria
0.0376686 Greek_Kos
0.03866244 Greek_Dodecanese
0.0398293 Greek_Crete
0.04128538 Italian_Abruzzo
0.04230187 Italian_Molise
0.04288967 Sicilian_East



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Archaic(550-480BC):Ten_Pel_Arch_2

0.04276258 Italian_Apulia
0.04524076 Sicilian_East
0.04590211 Italian_Campania
0.0463854 Italian_Abruzzo
0.04664949 Italian_Lazio
0.04740373 Italian_Basilicata
0.04814076 Italian_Molise
0.04872211 Italian_Calabria
0.04904121 Italian_Marche
0.05148008 Italian_Umbria



Distance to: Greece_Tenea_Archaic(550-480BC):Ten_Pel_Arch_1

0.05761951 Italian_Apulia
0.05841657 Sicilian_East
0.05950281 Italian_Campania
0.05967962 Italian_Calabria
0.06119979 Italian_Basilicata
0.06169915 Italian_Lazio
0.06209226 Italian_Abruzzo
0.06330566 Italian_Molise
0.06439063 Maltese
0.06440851 Italian_Jew



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Hellenistic(325-100BC):Amv_Epi_Hel_5

0.05260358 Italian_Apulia
0.05268039 Italian_Campania
0.0527346 Greek_Laconia
0.05275053 Italian_Basilicata
0.05356631 Italian_Calabria
0.05359637 Italian_Lazio
0.05513402 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05652234 Italian_Molise
0.05761298 Greek_Izmir
0.05823508 Italian_Umbria



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Hellenistic(325-100BC):Amv_Epi_Hel_4

0.05204555 Italian_Lazio
0.05476671 French_Corsica
0.05503812 Italian_Apulia
0.05578501 Italian_Campania
0.05648233 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05712792 Italian_Molise
0.05715279 Sicilian_East
0.05728828 Italian_Umbria
0.05771217 Italian_Basilicata
0.05890341 Italian_Marche



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Hellenistic(325-100BC):Amv_Epi_Hel_3

0.04491109 Greek_Dodecanese
0.04565071 Greek_Kos
0.05284058 Cypriot
0.05506427 Greek_Crete
0.05517976 Romaniote_Jew
0.05551356 Italian_Jew
0.0555369 Italian_Calabria
0.05628552 Italian_Campania
0.05678095 Greek_Central_Anatolia
0.05901057 Italian_Basilicata



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Hellenistic(325-100BC):Amv_Epi_Hel_1

0.04192307 Italian_Apulia
0.04225598 Sicilian_East
0.04386452 Italian_Campania
0.04528499 Italian_Abruzzo
0.04545298 Italian_Lazio
0.04596668 Italian_Basilicata
0.04717096 Sicilian_West
0.04722756 Italian_Molise
0.04752697 Italian_Marche
0.04779558 Italian_Calabria



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Classical(475-350BC):Amv_Epi_Cl_6

0.048505 Italian_Apulia
0.05019328 Italian_Campania
0.05061052 Italian_Lazio
0.05081756 Italian_Basilicata
0.05138263 Italian_Calabria
0.05160514 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05313012 Italian_Molise
0.0532474 Greek_Laconia
0.05329639 Sicilian_East
0.05405298 Italian_Marche



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Classical(475-350BC):Amv_Epi_Cl_5

0.04549027 Italian_Lazio
0.04612208 Greek_Laconia
0.04711433 Italian_Apulia
0.04746738 Italian_Abruzzo
0.04765484 Italian_Basilicata
0.04800412 Italian_Umbria
0.04801789 Greek_Izmir
0.04805511 Italian_Campania
0.04821181 Italian_Molise
0.04972781 Greek_Peloponnese



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Classical(475-350BC):Amv_Epi_Cl_4

0.03997283 Italian_Basilicata
0.04022267 Italian_Apulia
0.04115139 Italian_Campania
0.04134586 Greek_Izmir
0.04160055 Italian_Molise
0.04244308 Italian_Lazio
0.04244352 Italian_Abruzzo
0.04364694 Greek_Laconia
0.04404042 Italian_Calabria
0.04592129 Italian_Umbria



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Classical(475-350BC):Amv_Epi_Cl_2

0.04854241 Greek_Laconia
0.04982799 Italian_Basilicata
0.05026282 Italian_Apulia
0.05075126 Italian_Molise
0.05082072 Greek_Izmir
0.05083459 Italian_Lazio
0.05084846 Italian_Umbria
0.05130711 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05142142 Italian_Campania
0.05271131 Greek_Peloponnese



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Classical(475-350BC):Amv_Epi_Cl_1

0.04682157 Italian_Apulia
0.04710744 Italian_Campania
0.04799915 Italian_Calabria
0.04823799 Italian_Basilicata
0.04979966 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05021021 Italian_Lazio
0.0520225 Italian_Umbria
0.05231021 Italian_Molise
0.05280496 Sicilian_East
0.05318404 Greek_Izmir



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Archaic(550-480BC):Amv_Epi_Arch_3

0.05278828 Sicilian_East
0.05300162 Italian_Apulia
0.05457815 Italian_Calabria
0.05571603 Italian_Campania
0.05588617 Italian_Basilicata
0.05631917 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05708001 Italian_Molise
0.05798531 Italian_Lazio
0.0580992 Italian_Marche
0.06036051 Greek_Izmir



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Archaic(550-480BC):Amv_Epi_Arch_2

0.0459805 Italian_Lazio
0.04732978 Italian_Apulia
0.04754916 Italian_Basilicata
0.04828248 Italian_Campania
0.04830643 Italian_Umbria
0.048706 Italian_Calabria
0.04879121 Italian_Abruzzo
0.04904211 Italian_Molise
0.0496071 Sicilian_East
0.0498293 Greek_Laconia



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Archaic(550-480BC):Amv_Epi_Arch_1

0.04803807 Italian_Apulia
0.04976077 Italian_Campania
0.05076 Italian_Calabria
0.05088805 Sicilian_East
0.0509047 Italian_Basilicata
0.05339867 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05436422 Greek_Dodecanese
0.05452919 Italian_Molise
0.0551301 Greek_Crete
0.05554016 Italian_Lazio



Distance to: Greece_Amvrakia_Probably_Roman(700BC-476AD):Amv_Epi_Ar

0.04636573 Italian_Campania
0.04692941 Italian_Apulia
0.04793819 Italian_Basilicata
0.04951475 Italian_Lazio
0.04963752 Italian_Calabria
0.04984076 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05179698 Greek_Izmir
0.05211911 Sicilian_East
0.0522408 Italian_Molise
0.05229697 Greek_Kos



Distance to: Greece_Ammotopos_LBA(1350-1200BC):Amm_Epi_LBA_2

0.04752939 French_Corsica
0.04754969 Italian_Umbria
0.04758225 Italian_Lazio
0.0482751 Italian_Apulia
0.04936678 Italian_Abruzzo
0.04998072 Italian_Basilicata
0.05010157 Italian_Campania
0.05027785 Italian_Marche
0.05082483 Italian_Molise
0.05178035 Italian_Tuscany



Distance to: Greece_Ammotopos_LBA(1350-1200BC):Amm_Epi_LBA_1

0.04693856 Italian_Lazio
0.04701835 French_Corsica
0.05004854 Italian_Marche
0.051178 Italian_Apulia
0.0513988 Italian_Umbria
0.05172292 Italian_Abruzzo
0.05218565 Italian_Tuscany
0.05234417 Italian_Molise
0.05419098 Italian_Lombardy
0.05446028 Sicilian_East
 
Last edited:
image.png
 
While one can detect the admixture of Greeks over time, it should be noted that some Ancient Greeks are closer to some modern Greeks, than to other Ancient Greeks. This is especially true for Greeks in the Hellenist Era and in the Classical era.

On that note, pretty sure if we had Classical and Hellenistic specimens of Greeks from some islands and Asia Minor, there would be more overlaps with the modern islanders.
 
A study on Hellenistic/Roman era Greece is something that has been long awaited. It seems clear that up until the Hellenistic era both Tenea and Amvrakia cluster strongly with the LBA greeks with a few anatolian outliers. By the Roman era this changes in Tenea where the population begins to look rather identical to the BA/IA/Roman era western Anatolian genetic profile.

I see no indication whatsoever of any levantine pull of ancestry or levantine outliers for the Greek samples. This highlights more than anything the continuation of the bronze age pattern of Greece continueing to mix further with the anatolian peninsula, which was already hellenized at this point. I think at this point it also evidences further that both the Central Italian Roman imperial and modern southern Italian genetic structure derive their ancestry nearly totalistically from what was ultimately this cline of ancient greek ancestry rather than their original IA latin structure as well. The results of this study suggest there were no shifts of exotic input into the greek world as some have proposed but simply more movement eastwards on the preexisting Greco-anatolian cline.
Thank you, even Lazaridis explicitly said there wasn't any major levantine demographic shift in Anatolia, and the population remained largely the same since ChL to Roman period. In fact, he demonstrated that Anatolia became more Greek.
 
Thank you, even Lazaridis explicitly said there wasn't any major levantine demographic shift in Anatolia, and the population remained largely the same since ChL to Roman period. In fact, he demonstrated that Anatolia became more Greek.

Those who have been paying attention to the data will already know this. Anatolia clearly had a massive population with a high fertility rate from the Neolithic through at least the Iron age. Its only major admixture event prior to the Turks was with the Caucasus during the transition from Late Neolithic to the Chalcolithic Bronze age.
 
Thank you, even Lazaridis explicitly said there wasn't any major levantine demographic shift in Anatolia, and the population remained largely the same since ChL to Roman period. In fact, he demonstrated that Anatolia became more Greek.
Yeah Iron Age sees a 30-50% Mycenaean-like influx iirc, at least on some parts. Not sure if it's older or happened during IA.
 
1773076811150.png


Big thanks to @Stefano for sharing the great work Teenpean is doing by converting BAMs to PLINK format. I was able to convert them to Eigenstrat, and upload them into this Smartpca projection using the smartsnp methodology.
 
Last edited:
View attachment 19333

Big thanks to @Stefano for sharing the great work Teenpean is doing by converting BAMs to PLINK format. I was able to convert them to Eigenstrat, and upload them into this Smartpca projection using the smartsnp methodology.

Thanks for this PCA. The Tenea late Hellenistic clustering with central Italians is of particular interest. This individual may ultimately be from somewhere more northerly in Greece.
 
Those who have been paying attention to the data will already know this. Anatolia clearly had a massive population with a high fertility rate from the Neolithic through at least the Iron age. Its only major admixture event prior to the Turks was with the Caucasus during the transition from Late Neolithic to the Chalcolithic Bronze age.

1773233850785.png

If we look strictly at Mainland Greece from the MBA up to the Classical/Early Roman period, this is what the PCA looks like.
 
IA to Medieval C6 overlapping with pre-Roman Tenea. While Roman Tenea overlaps with C5-C4 and Anatolian Isparta_BA.

Some small overlaps with Pre-Roman Tenea and C5. They must have been Western Anatolians enriched by Greeks.

1773674549217.png
 
The roman tenea greeks have like 40%-50% mycaenean dna right?Also how much mycaenean dna modern greeks have actually
 
The roman tenea greeks have like 40%-50% mycaenean dna right?Also how much mycaenean dna modern greeks have actually

No, they likely had very little Mycenaean blood. It's hard to quantify it as it depends entirely on where said immigrants came from in Anatolia (it was a cline just like any other major deomgraphic hub), but if we use Isparta as an example, it's likely less than 15% Mycenaean influence. Perhaps more if we are talking migrations from central or eastern Anatolia but I see these regions as less influential due to geographic distance and later Hellenization.
 
No, they likely had very little Mycenaean blood. It's hard to quantify it as it depends entirely on where said immigrants came from in Anatolia (it was a cline just like any other major deomgraphic hub), but if we use Isparta as an example, it's likely less than 15% Mycenaean influence. Perhaps more if we are talking migrations from central or eastern Anatolia but I see these regions as less influential due to geographic distance and later Hellenization.
Lazaridis said that roman era western anatolians had 40-45% mycaenean like dna so i think its quite unlikely that the roman greeks of peloponnese had less mycaenean than the anatolian greeks,except if they were recent immigrants from somewhere else
 
Lazaridis said that roman era western anatolians had 40-45% mycaenean like dna so i think its quite unlikely that the roman greeks of peloponnese had less mycaenean than the anatolian greeks,except if they were recent immigrants from somewhere else

And what specific Anatolian and Mycenaean samples are being used to quantify that 40-45% statement?
 
Back
Top