At a glance
- When
- from the first cities, about 3500 BCE, through the Bronze and Iron Ages
- Where
- the land between the Tigris and Euphrates, today mainly Iraq, northeast Syria and southeast Turkey
- Entries in our catalogue
- 31 (17 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 2
What ancient DNA shows
Neolithic and later individuals from Upper Mesopotamia, in today's southeast Turkey and northern Iraq, carry a mix of ancestry related to the early farmers of Anatolia and the Levant on one side and of the Zagros mountains and Iran on the other, reflecting the region's place between them.
Ancestry related to these populations also reached Egypt: the Old Kingdom genome from Nuwayrat, published in 2025, carried about a fifth of its ancestry from eastern Fertile Crescent sources, consistent with long contact across the region.
Their genetic legacy today
Present-day populations of Iraq, Syria and southeast Turkey, including Assyrians, Kurds and Arabic speakers, share deep ancestry with the region's ancient inhabitants, combined with later movements.
Ancient Mesopotamians samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 31 entries whose culture label names the Ancient Mesopotamians. 17 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 28 dated entries fall between 3,005 BCE and 1,200 BCE, with a median of 2,000 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Iraq | 22 |
| Türkiye | 9 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Ancient Mesopotamian (Iraq) | 17 |
| Ancient Mesopotamian (Turkey) | 9 |
| Mesopotamian | 5 |
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 Mesopotamians
To see how close you sit to Ancient Mesopotamians 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 Mesopotamians samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 31 entries labelled as Ancient Mesopotamians, of which 17 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Ancient Mesopotamians samples found?
They come from 2 countries, most often Iraq and Türkiye. Half of the dated entries fall between 3,005 BCE and 1,200 BCE.
Do we have DNA from the Sumerians?
Genomes from southern Mesopotamia, the Sumerian heartland, are very scarce. Most ancient Mesopotamian DNA so far comes from the north of the region, so claims about Sumerian ancestry should be treated with care.