At a glance
- When
- about 3000 to 2350 BCE
- Where
- Northern and Central Europe, from the Rhine to the Volga
- Entries in our catalogue
- 235 (156 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 11
What ancient DNA shows
A 2015 study in Nature found that Corded Ware individuals from Germany derived about three quarters of their ancestry from people related to the Yamnaya, with the rest from earlier European farmers, evidence of a large migration from the steppe into the heart of Europe.
Later studies found that Corded Ware men mostly carried the R1a Y-chromosome lineage and that many women buried in Corded Ware communities came from outside them, a pattern of women marrying into the group.
Their genetic legacy today
Corded Ware ancestry is a large component of present-day Northern and Eastern Europeans, and R1a lineages descended from this period are common from Scandinavia to Russia and in South Asia.
Corded Ware samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 235 entries whose culture label names the Corded Ware. 156 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 234 dated entries fall between 2,700 BCE and 2,416 BCE, with a median of 2,500 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Czechia | 97 |
| Germany | 41 |
| Poland | 35 |
| Estonia | 19 |
| Switzerland | 14 |
| Denmark | 10 |
| Lithuania | 8 |
| Latvia | 4 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Corded Ware Culture (Czechia) | 64 |
| Corded Ware Culture (Poland) | 27 |
| Corded Ware Culture (Germany) | 22 |
| Corded Ware Culture | 17 |
| Corded Ware Culture (Estonia) | 17 |
| Corded Ware / Early Bronze Age (Spreitenbach, Aargau, Switzerland) | 10 |
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 Corded Ware
To see how close you sit to Corded Ware 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 Corded Ware samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 235 entries labelled as Corded Ware, of which 156 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Corded Ware samples found?
They come from 11 countries, most often Czechia, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Switzerland. Half of the dated entries fall between 2,700 BCE and 2,416 BCE.
How is Corded Ware related to Yamnaya?
Corded Ware people carried mostly Yamnaya related steppe ancestry mixed with European farmer ancestry, but they were not simply Yamnaya: the two differ in paternal lineages and culture, and the exact source population is still studied.