At a glance
- When
- the early Middle Ages, from about 500 CE
- Where
- Eastern Europe, then Central Europe, the Balkans and the eastern Baltic
- Entries in our catalogue
- 171 (118 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 12
What ancient DNA shows
A study published in Nature in 2025 analysed early medieval individuals associated with the Slavs and found ancestry pointing to a source in Eastern Europe. In regions such as eastern Germany and Poland this ancestry largely replaced the earlier population, while elsewhere the newcomers mixed more with local people.
In the Balkans, a 2023 study in Cell found that people with Eastern European ancestry arrived from the sixth century CE, and that this ancestry now makes up a large share of the ancestry of most present-day Balkan populations, often between a third and more than half.
Their genetic legacy today
Present-day Slavic-speaking peoples from Poland and Russia to Serbia and Bulgaria carry this early medieval Eastern European ancestry in varying shares, mixed with the ancestry of the people already living in each region.
Early Slavs samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 171 entries whose culture label names the Early Slavs. 118 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 169 dated entries fall between 843 CE and 1,100 CE, with a median of 1,090 CE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Poland | 66 |
| Croatia | 32 |
| Serbia | 17 |
| Ukraine | 17 |
| Czechia | 11 |
| Germany | 7 |
| Montenegro | 6 |
| Russia | 6 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Early Medieval West Slavs (Poland) | 64 |
| Early Medieval South Slavs (Croatia) | 23 |
| Medieval Slav (Ukraine) | 13 |
| Early Medieval South Slavs (Serbia) | 9 |
| Early Medieval West Slavs (Germany) | 7 |
| Medieval South Slavs (Croatia) | 7 |
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 Early Slavs
To see how close you sit to Early Slavs 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 Early Slavs samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 171 entries labelled as Early Slavs, of which 118 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Early Slavs samples found?
They come from 12 countries, most often Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Czechia. Half of the dated entries fall between 843 CE and 1,100 CE.
Did the Slavs spread by migration or by language alone?
Ancient DNA points to substantial migration. Early Slavic burials in Central Europe and the Balkans carry ancestry from Eastern Europe that was rare there before the sixth century, although the degree of mixing with earlier populations differs from region to region.