Ancient Genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connection between European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire

AI interpretationAI-generated

Ancient DNA links some European Huns directly to the Xiongnu Empire, but most locals were not steppe migrants.

This study combined archaeology and 369 genomes to test whether European Huns descended from the Xiongnu. It found no large eastern/steppe ancestry community in 5th-6th century Carpathian Basin populations, and eastern-type burials were genetically very diverse. Yet long shared DNA segments directly connect some elite Hun individuals to Xiongnu-era steppe people, showing a real but limited elite link across Eurasia.

• No evidence for a large eastern/steppe ancestry community in Hun and post-Hun Carpathian Basin populations.
• Eastern-type burials show high genetic diversity, mirroring variability across the Eurasian steppe, suggesting mixed origins for incoming conquerors.
• Long shared genomic segments directly link some elite Hun individuals to Xiongnu-era steppe lineages and their descendants.

Sample interpretation

The site sample includes 35 individuals, with 16 resolved Y-haplogroups. Cultures include Hun/Gepid P (13), Berel_Altai_Xianbei_Hun_P (12), lateSarmatian_Hun_P (6), and Hun P eastern-type burials (4). Top Y lines are I-L1229 (2), plus G-FTD87775, R-Z2124, I-Z2054, R-F992, R-Y98084, N-Y70200, and Q-YP844 (1 each). Top mtDNA are U5a1d2b, H26, H7b, U5a2b1c (2 each), and B4b1a3a, H4a1a4b (1 each).

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry fans, this means European Huns were not a simple mass migration from Mongolia. If you see Hun-era eastern burial signals, expect mixed steppe origins, with only some elite lines showing direct Xiongnu descent.