At a glance
- When
- about 6000 BCE to the Middle Ages
- Where
- the island of Sardinia, Italy
- Entries in our catalogue
- 252 (116 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 2
What ancient DNA shows
Two studies published in 2020 found that Neolithic Sardinians were closely related to early farmers of mainland Europe, and that the island remained largely untouched by the steppe ancestry that spread across most of Europe in the Bronze Age. Nuragic individuals of the Bronze Age still carried mostly early farmer ancestry.
From the first millennium BCE, with Phoenician and Punic settlement and then Roman rule, individuals with ancestry from the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa appear. These later contributions explain much of the difference between ancient and present-day Sardinians.
Their genetic legacy today
Present-day Sardinians, especially in the mountainous Ogliastra region, carry the highest share of early farmer ancestry of any modern European population.
Ancient Sardinians samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 252 entries whose culture label names the Ancient Sardinians. 116 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 252 dated entries fall between 2,287 BCE and 400 BCE, with a median of 1,477 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Italy | 251 |
| France | 1 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Neolithic Sardinia (Italy) | 25 |
| Nuragic (Sardinia, Italy) | 25 |
| Bonnanaro Culture (Early Bronze Age Sardinia) | 21 |
| Nuragic (Italy) | 18 |
| Chalcolithic Sardinia (Italy) | 17 |
| Medieval Sardinia (Italy) | 17 |
Measured from the live catalogue on 2026-10-17. Dates are those recorded for each entry; the archaeological dates of the culture are given above. See our data sources for where the samples come from.
Compare your DNA with the Ancient Sardinians
To see how close you sit to Ancient Sardinians samples, you need your DNA as G25 coordinates. Download your raw data file from your testing company, convert it, and MYDNATLAS compares your coordinates with these entries and the rest of the catalogue, period by period, in its closest population and mixture tools.
- Download your raw DNA file: step by step for each testing company.
- Upload it from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA, or another supported provider.
- Explore the results with the period by period breakdown and closest populations.
Start free: browse the Population Encyclopedia. The Population Encyclopedia is free to browse with a free account; analysing your own DNA needs a paid plan.
Questions
How many Ancient Sardinians samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 252 entries labelled as Ancient Sardinians, of which 116 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Ancient Sardinians samples found?
They come from 2 countries, most often Italy and France. Half of the dated entries fall between 2,287 BCE and 400 BCE.
Why are Sardinians genetically distinctive?
Because the island received relatively little of the steppe ancestry that reshaped mainland Europe in the Bronze Age, Sardinians retain an unusually high share of the ancestry of Europe's first farmers, with later Mediterranean additions.