At a glance
- When
- the Mesolithic and Neolithic, about 9000 to 4000 BCE
- Where
- the forest zone and river valleys of European Russia, from Karelia to the middle Volga around Samara
- Entries in our catalogue
- 87 (41 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 2
What ancient DNA shows
A 2015 study in Nature named the eastern hunter-gatherers from individuals in Karelia and at Samara on the Volga. It found that they carried a mixture of ancestry related to western hunter-gatherers and to the Ancient North Eurasians of Siberia, and that they were one of the two main sources of the ancestry of the Yamnaya herders, the other being ancestry related to the Caucasus and Iran.
Mesolithic cemeteries on the middle Volga, such as those near Samara, have provided further genomes of this population. Ancestry of this kind also reached Scandinavia, where foragers mixed western and eastern hunter-gatherer ancestry, and the Baltic, so the line between western and eastern foragers was gradual rather than sharp.
Their genetic legacy today
Eastern hunter-gatherer ancestry reached most of Europe through the steppe ancestry carried by Yamnaya and Corded Ware people, and it is highest today in northeastern Europe.
Eastern Hunter-Gatherers samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 87 entries whose culture label names the Eastern Hunter-Gatherers. 41 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 86 dated entries fall between 5,403 BCE and 4,500 BCE, with a median of 5,260 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Russia | 86 |
| Ukraine | 1 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Eastern Hunter-Gatherer (Russia) | 44 |
| Ekaterinovka Mesolithic (Russia) | 34 |
| Volga Mesolithic-Neolithic (S'yezzheye; EHG foragers) | 2 |
| Eastern Hunter-Gatherer | 1 |
| Eastern Hunter-Gatherer (Karelia, Russia) | 1 |
| Eastern Hunter-Gatherer (Samara, Russia) | 1 |
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 Eastern Hunter-Gatherers
To see how close you sit to Eastern Hunter-Gatherers 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 Eastern Hunter-Gatherers samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 87 entries labelled as Eastern Hunter-Gatherers, of which 41 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Eastern Hunter-Gatherers samples found?
They come from 2 countries, most often Russia and Ukraine. Half of the dated entries fall between 5,403 BCE and 4,500 BCE.
What does EHG mean in an ancestry model?
EHG stands for eastern hunter-gatherer. In G25 and other models it is used as a source on its own or as part of steppe ancestry, and it shows how much of a person's ancestry traces back to the Mesolithic foragers of Eastern Europe.