Ancient Ancestors
Breaking news – it’s now possible to trace your DNA roots back many generations. You can find out the breakdown of your DNA in various historical eras…the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Roman Era, and the Middle Ages. Who knew that we could go way beyond those elusive 5th cousins.
MyHeritage.com has partnered with a new company called Illustrated DNA. This company has obtained DNA samples from actual burial sites and archaeological remains. While it’s not possible to match a specific person, it is interesting to identify which ancient civilizations you descend from. These results shed light on thousands of years of migration and history. It’s interesting to see what genetic characteristics have survived thousands of years.
There is actually a scientific research field call archaeogenetics which is basically the study of ancient DNA. Through archaeogenetics you can determine your best genetic fit which is “how closely the model matches your DNA, reflecting how well the combination of ancient populations align with your genetics (Introducing Ancient Origins).”
While some people have been shocked by their results, there were no surprises in the determination of my closest genetic fit to the various historical eras:
- Bronze Age (3300 BC – 1200 BC): European Farmer
- Iron Age (1200 BC– 550 BC): Germanic
- Roman Era (753 BC – 476 AD): German and Roman Britain
- Middle Ages (500 – 1500): Insular Celt (British Isles) and Germanic
In the business world, modern managers often divide their sales people into Hunter/Gatherer vs Farmer archetypes to better use their innate traits to improve productivity. The most common traits that have survived are (Ku):
| Hunter/Gatherer | Farmer |
| Goal-oriented | Relationship-builders |
| Self-motivated | Service-oriented |
| Persistent | Friendly |
| Disciplined | Loyal |
| Thick-skinned | Team player |
| Highly organized |
While most of us have characteristics of both types, I definitely identify more with the farmer which makes sense; I have many farmers in my family tree as well as a genetic fit with farmers from the Bronze Age.
April is an appropriate month to focus on DNA because April 25 is National DNA Day. Happy ancestor hunting!
Sources
“Introducing Ancient Origins: Trace Your Origins Back 10,000 Years – MyHeritage Blog.” MyHeritage Blog, 19 Feb. 2025, blog.myheritage.com/2025/02/introducing-ancient-origins-trace-your-origins-back-10000-years/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Ku, Daniel. “Sales Hunter vs Farmer: The Differences Explained.” Revenue Reveal, 10 Nov. 2022, revenuereveal.co/sales-hunters-vs-farmers/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
“MyHeritage DNA | Reveal Your Ethnicity & Ancestry | DNA Testing – MyHeritage.” MyHeritage, 2019, www.myheritage.com/dna/ancient-origins/774397991. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.