At a glance
- When
- about 900 to 100 BCE
- Where
- central Italy, in today's Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria
- Entries in our catalogue
- 55 (19 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 1
What ancient DNA shows
A 2021 study in Science Advances of individuals from Etruria and southern Italy, spanning about 800 BCE to 1000 CE, found that the Etruscans shared their genetic profile with their Latin neighbours, including steppe ancestry, despite speaking a non-Indo-European language. There was no sign of recent Anatolian origin.
The same study found a major shift during the Roman Imperial period toward Eastern Mediterranean ancestry, and a later contribution from Northern Europe in the early Middle Ages.
Their genetic legacy today
Present-day people of central Italy carry a mixture of ancestry from the Etruscan era population and from later movements of the Imperial and medieval periods.
Etruscans samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 55 entries whose culture label names the Etruscans. 19 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 53 dated entries fall between 800 BCE and 201 BCE, with a median of 676 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Italy | 55 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Etruscan | 21 |
| Etruscan (Italy) | 4 |
| Lazio Viterbo Etruscan | 2 |
| Etruscan (Tarquinia Monterozzi, Italy) | 1 |
| Etruscan Italic afr admix | 1 |
| Etruscan Italic high steppe | 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 Etruscans
To see how close you sit to Etruscans 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 Etruscans samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 55 entries labelled as Etruscans, of which 19 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Etruscans samples found?
They come from 1 country, most often Italy. Half of the dated entries fall between 800 BCE and 201 BCE.
Did the Etruscans come from Anatolia?
Ancient DNA does not support it. Etruscan individuals were genetically similar to other Iron Age people of Italy, which suggests their language survived from an older population rather than arriving with migrants from the east.