Study in “Nature”: Ancient DNA reveals thousands of years of continuity of Albanians in the Balkans

A new genetic study has been published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour , offering the clearest picture yet of the origins of Albanians, revealing deep roots in the Balkans and an unusual level of continuity from the Bronze Age to the present day.

An international team of researchers from the University of Oxford, Tel Aviv University, and Ohio State University has analyzed over 6,000 ancient genomes from the Balkans and Western Eurasia, as well as 74 new genomes from modern-day Albanians.

The researchers used advanced statistical methods, including the “ancient identity by descent” (ancIBD) technique, which identifies segments of DNA inherited from common ancestors.

The results show that, “while much of Southeastern Europe was reshaped by large-scale migrations during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, the ancestors of today’s Albanians remained relatively untouched.

The mountainous terrain appears to have served as a long-term refuge, preserving genetic links with ancient populations of the western and central Balkans from the Iron Age and Roman periods.”

Dr. Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou, a researcher at the Oxford University Natural History Museum, says that Albanians represent one of the clearest examples of long-term genetic continuity in the Balkans.

“Our results show that Albanians represent one of the clearest examples of long-term genetic continuity in the Balkans. Despite great historical upheaval, they maintained strong ties to ancient populations that lived in this region thousands of years ago.”

This continuity is also reflected in demographic patterns.

Genetic analyses of historical population size indicate that Albanians descend from a relatively small and cohesive ancestral population, consistent with prolonged isolation and limited gene flow from abroad over the centuries.

Co-author Dr. Alban Lauka emphasized that this type of genetic signal indicates a population that has remained relatively stable for long periods, even though surrounding regions have experienced major demographic changes.

Meanwhile, co-author Gjergj Bojaxhi added that this is a key discovery for the history of Albania.

He shows that communities closely related to today’s Albanians were already present in southern Albania long before they were historically documented.

Nature magazine is one of the two most prestigious journals in the world in the field of Anthropology, and the article was published after passing a technical-scientific evaluation by the journal’s editorial board.

The publication has several co-authors from Albania (Roots Project, Academy of Sciences and Institute of Albanology), as well as co-authors from countries such as Greece, Hungary, Poland and the USA.

The article used the largest database of modern Albanian populations (Albania, Kosovo/Presheva, Macedonia, Montenegro, Chameria) with tests conducted in laboratories in Germany, Italy, and the USA.

Even within the territory of Albania, the sample of results contains results from every region of the country./Telegrafi