At a glance
- When
- about 2100 to 900 BCE
- Where
- the southern Urals, Kazakhstan and southern Siberia, reaching Central Asia and Xinjiang
- Entries in our catalogue
- 225 (114 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 4
What ancient DNA shows
A 2015 study in Nature found that Sintashta individuals were genetically very similar to Corded Ware people of Europe, which suggests a movement from the west back onto the steppe, and that Andronovo individuals were closely related to them.
A 2019 study in Science found that steppe ancestry of this Middle to Late Bronze Age kind reached South Asia in the second millennium BCE. Today it is present in higher shares among groups that traditionally speak Indo-European languages, and the study linked the movement to the spread of the Indo-Iranian languages.
Their genetic legacy today
Middle to Late Bronze Age steppe ancestry survives in present-day populations of Central and South Asia, and the R1a-Z93 paternal lineages common in South Asia today belong to this world.
Sintashta and Andronovo samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 225 entries whose culture label names the Sintashta and Andronovo. 114 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 225 dated entries fall between 1,875 BCE and 1,500 BCE, with a median of 1,653 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 129 |
| Russia | 76 |
| China | 15 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 5 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Andronovo Culture (Kazakhstan) | 118 |
| Sintashta Culture (Russia) | 54 |
| Andronovo (Middle-Late Bronze Age) | 19 |
| Andronovo | 7 |
| Andronovo-Related (China) | 4 |
| Russia Sintashta Middle-Late Bronze Age (Outlier) | 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 Sintashta and Andronovo
To see how close you sit to Sintashta and Andronovo 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 Sintashta and Andronovo samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 225 entries labelled as Sintashta and Andronovo, of which 114 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Sintashta and Andronovo samples found?
They come from 4 countries, most often Kazakhstan, Russia, China and Kyrgyzstan. Half of the dated entries fall between 1,875 BCE and 1,500 BCE.
Were the Sintashta people the ancestors of the Indo-Aryans?
Ancient DNA supports a link: steppe ancestry like that of the Sintashta and Andronovo herders entered South Asia in the second millennium BCE and is associated with Indo-European speaking groups. Which exact population carried the languages is still studied.