At a glance
- When
- about 900 to 200 BCE
- Where
- the Eurasian steppe from the Black Sea to Mongolia
- Entries in our catalogue
- 195 (108 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 6
What ancient DNA shows
Studies of Scythian era individuals from the Pontic steppe, the Carpathian Basin and Central Asia found mostly western steppe ancestry, descended from Bronze Age herders, combined with varying amounts of East Asian ancestry that tends to increase toward the east.
Different Scythian groups appear to have formed independently from local populations rather than spreading from one homeland, which fits the archaeological picture of a shared culture across very different regions.
Their genetic legacy today
Scythian era ancestry contributes to later steppe peoples and, more distantly, to some populations of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. No modern group is simply their descendant.
Scythians samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 195 entries whose culture label names the Scythians. 108 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 193 dated entries fall between 600 BCE and 334 BCE, with a median of 450 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Ukraine | 85 |
| Russia | 45 |
| Hungary | 40 |
| Moldova | 16 |
| Kazakhstan | 8 |
| China | 1 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Scythian | 118 |
| Scythian (Ukraine) | 8 |
| Scythian (Steppe) | 5 |
| Scytho-Sarmatian | 4 |
| Western Scythian | 4 |
| Hungary Iron Age Scythian Sandorfalva | 3 |
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 Scythians
To see how close you sit to Scythians 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 Scythians samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 195 entries labelled as Scythians, of which 108 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Scythians samples found?
They come from 6 countries, most often Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Moldova and Kazakhstan. Half of the dated entries fall between 600 BCE and 334 BCE.
What did the Scythians look like genetically?
Western Scythians were close to other western steppe populations of the Iron Age, with a minority of East Asian ancestry. Eastern Scythian era groups carried more East Asian ancestry.