Ancient DNA reveals the origins of the Albanians

**KrashNick** · 06-09-2023, 04:09 PM

Preprint on a new Albanian paper out:

“Ancient DNA reveals the origins of the Albanians”

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...06.05.543790v1

Abstract

The origins of the Albanian people have vexed linguists and historians for centuries, as Albanians first appear in the historical record in the 11th century CE, while their language is one of the most enigmatic branches of the Indo-European family. To identify the populations that contributed to the ancestry of Albanians, we undertake a genomic transect of the Balkans over the last 8000 years, where we analyse more than 6000 previously published ancient genomes using state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools and algorithms that quantify spatiotemporal human mobility. We find that modern Albanians descend from Roman era western Balkan populations, with additional admixture from Slavic-related groups. Remarkably, Albanian paternal ancestry shows continuity from Bronze Age Balkan populations, including those known as Illyrians. Our results provide an unprecedented understanding of the historical and demographic processes that led to the formation of modern Albanians and help locate the area where the Albanian language developed.

**Voskos** · 06-09-2023, 09:59 PM

list of Ancient european dna samples that share a high number of IBD segments with ancient Illyrians (ALB_Cinamak_Anc). I took the list from the study Supplements. Nothing too surprising.

Macedonia_IA
Czech_EBA_Unetice_brother.I14185
Montenegro_MLBA
Czech_EBA_Unetice_brother.I14185
Serbia_Mokrin_EBA_Maros
Hungary_EIA_Prescythian_Mezocsat
Hungary_IA_Syrmian_SremGroup
Croatia_MBA
Croatia_MBA
Czech_BellBeaker
Italy_IA_Republic_o.SG
Germany_Lech_BellBeaker
Russia_Afanasievo_son.I10565
Ireland_Kilteasheen_AngloSaxon_EMedieval_Norman
Czech_CordedWare
Ireland_MN.SG
Poland_Southeast_CordedWare.SG_father.or.son.pcw04 0.SG
Poland_Southeast_CordedWare.SG
Russia_Kalmykia_EBA_Yamnaya.SG
Czech_CordedWare

Turkey_C
Czech_EBA_Unetice_brother.I14185
Czech_EBA_Unetice
Germany_CordedWare
Czech_EBA_Unetice
Hungary_IA_LaTene
Hungary_EBA_BellBeaker
Croatia_MBA
Croatia_MBA
Netherlands_BellBeaker
Czech_EBA_Unetice
Croatia_Mursa_Roman.SG
Hungary_MBA_Vatya.SG

Czech_N_GlobularAmphora
Macedonia_IA
Macedonia_IA
Mongolia_EBA_Chemurchek_2
Montenegro_MLBA
Montenegro_MLBA
Hungary_EIA_Prescythian_Mezocsat
Bulgaria_EIA
England_BellBeaker_lowEEF
Spain_EBA_oNorthEurope_1d.rel.I4560
Croatia_MBA
Croatia_EIA
Poland_CordedWare_3.SG
Lebanon_Roman.SG
Italy_Sardinia_EBA_Nuragic_mother.SUC003
Ukraine_EBA_Yamnaya
Russia_MBA_Poltavka
Russia_Afanasievo
Serbia_Mokrin_EBA_Maros.SG
Italy_IA_Republic.SG
Italy_TarquiniaMonterozzi_IA.SG
Croatia_SisakPogorelec_Roman.SG

Germany_Lech_BellBeaker_possible.contam
Russia_Samara_EBA_Yamnaya
Czech_EBA_Unetice
England_EIA
Czech_CordedWare
Czech_LBA_Knoviz
Ukraine_N
Kazakhstan_MLBA_Karagash
Pakistan_SaiduSharif_H
England_MBA
Czech_EBA_Unetice_sister.PDA002
Czech_EBA_Unetice_father.or.son.PDA002

**Tenn** · 06-09-2023, 10:39 PM

Here some more from the study:

“Haplogroup J2b-Z600 branched off its parent lineage J2b-L283 around 3500-3000 BCE (77, 78). Current sampling suggests that J2b-Z600 was absent from the European Neolithic-Chalcolithic (Fig. 8), as it appears abruptly on the aDNA record in the Serbian Bronze Age (2100-1800 BCE) in a Maros cultural context, alongside the parent subclade of R1b-BY611 (Fig. S9) (5, 79). This places two of the most frequent paternal lineages of the Albanians (Fig. S9) in the Central-West Balkans by the EBA (Figs. 8-9, S9). Haplogroup J2b-Z600 experienced a major founder effect and diversification in the ancient populations of the Adriatic coast (Albania, Croatia, Montenegro), where it accounts for 50-70% of all paternal lineages during the BA-IA (Figs. 8-9), and has been found in samples associated with major West Balkan archaeological cultural expressions, most notably in Maros, Cetina, Japodian and Liburnian contexts (Tables S23-S24, S28) (5, 79). Coupled with its remarkably local distribution in pre-Roman times (Fig. S10), J2b-Z600 may represent a reliable indicator of ultimate Bronze Age-Iron Age West Balkan paternal ancestry. The distributional expansion of J2b-Z600 in northern and western Europe in Roman and post-Roman times (Figs. 8-9, S10) is not surprising, as the West Balkans supplied the Empire with mercenaries, soldiers, and Emperors for centuries (7–9). Within an Albanian context, J2b-Z600 subclades found in BA-IA, Roman and Medieval Albania (Bardhoc, Çinamak), Montenegro (Doclea, Velika Gruda), and Southern Croatia (Gardun, Gudnja cave), have daughter or sister lineages in modern Albanians (Table S34), suggesting significant paternal continuity from ancient south-west Balkan populations identified as “Illyrians” by classical authors (Fig. S11). aDNA samples from Roman Serbia (Sviloš, Viminacium) and Late Avar-Medieval Hungary (Alattyán, Sárrétudvari) belong to J2b-Z600 lineages related to those of modern Albanians (Table S34), indicating an ultimately south-west Balkan paternal origin for these individuals, which corroborates inscriptional and historical evidence for transplantations of “Illyrian” soldiers along the Limes (8, 9).”

Samples from Roman Serbia are related to some of the Albanian J-L283. Viminacium was north of the Nish area. A Roman military camp. Probably Illyrians that were stationed there as soldiers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viminacium

**Tenn** · 06-09-2023, 10:39 PM

Wonder about E-V13 though. Maybe a Thracian origin ?

**Tenn** · 06-09-2023, 11:03 PM

It has been previously demonstrated (3, 16) that during Imperial Roman times, or perhaps even the
preceding Hellenistic era, as we show here (Fig. 4B), large-scale westward immigration from the
Eastern provinces took place, which transformed the genetic landscape of the Empire (59). This
demographic shift also took place in the Balkans (3), as can be seen in the PCA of Roman and
Post-Roman samples (Fig. 5), where virtually all local populations are shifted from their Bronze
Age and Iron Age position towards the Eastern Mediterranean, forming a cluster along what we
term as the Anatolian cline (Fig. 5A).

They also mention this + Slavic .

**Tenn** · 06-09-2023, 11:06 PM

When it comes to the origin of the Albanians. I agree with the Albanian historian Selami Pulaha, who stated that the formation of the Albanians was in the Balkan interior in Dardania , Nish-Ulpiana-Shkup-Shtip area, or at least it was definitely spoken there before the arrival of the Slavs as supported also by many historians who still support a west balkan origin. There are indications that movements from the Balkan interior into the west balkans occurred but also the other way around.

But toponyms like Shkoder-Lezha-Mat-Ulqin-Drisht-Shkumbin etc weren't taken from Slavs either and indicates an Albanian presence there since the Roman period in modern Albania/Montenegro at least also. Then you have the name 'Albanoi' which came from an Illyrian tribe in North-Central Albania. This name became spread as far as Nish-Shkup etc before the slavic migrations. From this name came 'Arbanon' and the medieval Albanian name Arbereshe, Arbanas, Arbanashka etc and the Turkish Arnaut and Greek Arvanite

**cass** · 06-09-2023, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Tenn

Here some more from the study:

Samples from Roman Serbia are related to some of the Albanian J-L283. Viminacium was north of the Nish area. A Roman military camp. Probably Illyrians that were stationed there as soldiers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viminacium

Viminacium looks like modern Serbs

Distance to: SRB_Viminacium
0.01615857 Moldovan
0.01717127 Montenegrin
0.01756452 Romanian
0.01774867 Serbian
0.02179233 Macedonian
0.02297448 Bulgarian
0.02427744 Bosnian
0.03045517 Croatian
0.03083952 Gagauz
0.03358497 Greek_East_Macedonia_and_Thrace
0.03489923 Hungarian
0.03500216 Italian_Northeast
0.03555073 Slovenian
0.03567993 Austrian
0.04248075 German_Erlangen
0.04249087 French_Alsace
0.04343154 Ukrainian_Zakarpattia
0.04397128 Turkish_Deliorman
0.04505684 Swiss_German
0.04592684 French_Provence
0.04593547 Greek_Central_Macedonia
0.04599837 Italian_Friuli_Venezia_Giulia_Sappada
0.04615448 Rumelia_East
0.04684367 French_Nord
0.04722716 Italian_Veneto

Distance to: SRB_Sirmium
0.01093631 Slovenian
0.01462224 Croatian
0.01534239 Hungarian
0.02003910 Ukrainian_Zakarpattia
0.02197660 Czech
0.02260925 Austrian
0.02445567 Bosnian
0.02448257 German_East
0.02492894 Ukrainian_Lviv
0.02668701 German_Erlangen
0.02961826 Slovakian
0.02974906 Moldovan
0.03176443 Polish_Silesian
0.03270682 Moldovan_o
0.03341439 Serbian
0.03366085 German
0.03375546 German_Hamburg
0.03437839 Polish
0.03553326 Montenegrin
0.03853594 Sorb_Niederlausitz
0.04060594 Ukrainian_Sumy
0.04062290 Ukrainian_Rivne
0.04131214 Ukrainian_Zhytomyr
0.04133454 Russian_Belgorod
0.04219445 French_Alsace

**Varda** · 06-09-2023, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by Tenn

Wonder about E-V13 though. Maybe a Thracian origin ?

For sure https://forum.krstarica.com/threads/...#post-47061304

**cass** · 06-09-2023, 11:41 PM

The Illyrians of today's Albania look like modern Northern Italians

**Tenn** · 06-10-2023, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by cass

Viminacium looks like modern Serbs

Distance to: SRB_Viminacium
0.01615857 Moldovan
0.01717127 Montenegrin
0.01756452 Romanian
0.01774867 Serbian
0.02179233 Macedonian
0.02297448 Bulgarian
0.02427744 Bosnian
0.03045517 Croatian
0.03083952 Gagauz
0.03358497 Greek_East_Macedonia_and_Thrace
0.03489923 Hungarian
0.03500216 Italian_Northeast
0.03555073 Slovenian
0.03567993 Austrian
0.04248075 German_Erlangen
0.04249087 French_Alsace
0.04343154 Ukrainian_Zakarpattia
0.04397128 Turkish_Deliorman
0.04505684 Swiss_German
0.04592684 French_Provence
0.04593547 Greek_Central_Macedonia
0.04599837 Italian_Friuli_Venezia_Giulia_Sappada
0.04615448 Rumelia_East
0.04684367 French_Nord
0.04722716 Italian_Veneto

Distance to: SRB_Sirmium
0.01093631 Slovenian
0.01462224 Croatian
0.01534239 Hungarian
0.02003910 Ukrainian_Zakarpattia
0.02197660 Czech
0.02260925 Austrian
0.02445567 Bosnian
0.02448257 German_East
0.02492894 Ukrainian_Lviv
0.02668701 German_Erlangen
0.02961826 Slovakian
0.02974906 Moldovan
0.03176443 Polish_Silesian
0.03270682 Moldovan_o
0.03341439 Serbian
0.03366085 German
0.03375546 German_Hamburg
0.03437839 Polish
0.03553326 Montenegrin
0.03853594 Sorb_Niederlausitz
0.04060594 Ukrainian_Sumy
0.04062290 Ukrainian_Rivne
0.04131214 Ukrainian_Zhytomyr
0.04133454 Russian_Belgorod
0.04219445 French_Alsace

We are talking about Y-DNA and not autosomal. And As far as I know most of the samples in the Roman Balkans are Southern European and not like that. There were some Slavs that migrated there too during those periods so you'll find samples like that.