02/05/2026
Regional Spotlight - Aegean
This genetic mixture appears to roughly cover the area of present-day Greece and the Aegean Islands.
Greece is often referred to as the cradle of Western civilisation, paving the way for great developments in medicine, architecture, politics, and more.
As the founders of democracy, the ancient Greeks changed the lives of future peoples across the globe. This was the first place in Europe to be introduced to farming (most likely from Anatolia), and the genetics of the area act as a living legacy to this. Farming appeared by 7000 BC, and studies have suggested that around 60% of DNA in the Aegean area today may be derived from these Neolithic inhabitants from the Near East, who intermixed with the existing hunter-gatherer populations.
This genetic signature was influenced by early events, such as the absorption of the Minoans in Crete by the Mycenaeans from the mainland in c.1500 BC. From Pythagoras to Plato, the ancient Greeks have a rich history of leaders, battles, science, and philosophy. Alexander the Great ruled the Aegean and spread Greek culture and genetics across Western Asian.
The Aegean Sea was a key route for trade and development until Greece was conquered by the Romans after the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC. From the Persians to the Ottomans, outside cultural and genetic influences at varying degrees occurred throughout the history of the Aegean.