Ancient DNA analysis rewrites the history of European languages and Vikings

An international research team led by Universiteit Leiden and De Universiteit van Kopenhagen used DNA analysis of ancient skeletons to track the movement of people and the spread of European languages.

Researchers combined the genetic data from 712 ancient individuals with more than 4000 previously published DNA profiles from across Eurasia to map population flows.

While DNA does not directly reveal the languages people spoke, the genetic patterns combined with archaeological and linguistic data helped the team identify the origins of Celtic and Germanic languages. The study changed the understanding of how Germanic languages, which include English and Dutch, reached Northern Europe. Scientists previously believed these languages developed directly from steppe migrants who arrived 5000 years ago from modern-day Ukraine and southern Russia.

However, the new data shows a second wave of migrants arrived in Sweden 800 years after the first group, likely from the Baltic states. These migrants spread across Scandinavia and reached regions like Germany, the Netherlands, and Great Britain 1700 years ago, bringing the ancestors of the Germanic language with them. The team also discovered that the ancestors of the Vikings did not originate in Scandinavia.

About 1500 years ago, groups of people moved from northern Germany back toward Denmark and southern Sweden, displacing the local population. This migration aligns with the emergence of Old Norse. The DNA shows that many Danish and Swedish Vikings shared roots with the Anglo-Saxons who settled in England. Additionally, the research supports the theory that Celtic languages originated in Central Europe near the Czech Republic before spreading toward France, Ireland, and Spain.