At a glance
- When
- about 4000 to 2450 BCE, from the arrival of farming to the Beaker period
- Where
- Great Britain, from southern England to Orkney
- Entries in our catalogue
- 216 (136 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 3
What ancient DNA shows
A 2019 study in Nature Ecology and Evolution found that Britain's first farmers descended mostly from farmers of the Aegean and Anatolia, whose ancestors had moved west along the Mediterranean and through France. They largely replaced the island's Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, who contributed only a small share of their ancestry.
A 2021 study in Nature reconstructed five generations of one family buried in the Hazleton North long cairn in the Cotswolds, linked through the male line, which points to patrilineal descent in at least some communities. From about 2450 BCE people with steppe-related ancestry associated with the Beaker culture arrived, and a 2018 study in Nature found that within a few centuries they had replaced about nine tenths of Britain's gene pool.
Their genetic legacy today
Because of the Beaker period turnover, present-day Britons carry only a small share of ancestry from the Neolithic population of Britain. Most of their early farmer ancestry came later, carried by continental groups who already had it.
Neolithic Britons samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 216 entries whose culture label names the Neolithic Britons. 136 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 216 dated entries fall between 3,650 BCE and 3,254 BCE, with a median of 3,500 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 214 |
| Guernsey | 1 |
| Greece | 1 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Neolithic Britain (England) | 46 |
| Neolithic Britain (Scotland) | 24 |
| Neolithic Britain (Orkney, Scotland) | 15 |
| Neolithic Britain (Wales) | 15 |
| Neolithic Scotland | 14 |
| Neolithic Britain | 6 |
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 Neolithic Britons
To see how close you sit to Neolithic Britons 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 Neolithic Britons samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 216 entries labelled as Neolithic Britons, of which 136 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Neolithic Britons samples found?
They come from 3 countries, most often United Kingdom, Guernsey and Greece. Half of the dated entries fall between 3,650 BCE and 3,254 BCE.
Are the British descended from the people who built Stonehenge?
Only in small part. Stonehenge was begun by Neolithic farmers, but their ancestry was largely replaced after about 2450 BCE by people with steppe-related ancestry, who became the main ancestors of later Britons and who themselves used and rebuilt the monument.