Ancient DNA reveals new migration routes for Germanic languages

Geneticists at the University of Copenhagen led an international team to analyze more than 4,500 ancient genomes to trace the origins of Germanic languages.

The researchers compared genetic sequences with linguistic and archaeological data to understand how languages like English, German, and Dutch spread across Northern Europe. The study identified a previously unknown migration of a group the researchers call Eastern Scandinavian into Scandinavia roughly 4,000 years ago.

This movement aligns with the spread of Germanic languages and cultural practices such as runic carvings, pottery crafting, and specific burial rites. The researchers believe these people originated from the Baltic states and spent about 500 years spreading their genes throughout the local population. This finding challenges previous theories that suggested migrants from the Steppes brought the root Germanic language to the region 5,000 years ago. The new evidence suggests the influx occurred 1,000 years later than previously thought.

Additionally, the team found that northern Germans migrated to Denmark and southern Sweden about 1,500 years ago. This specific movement corresponds with the rise of Old Norse and may explain cultural similarities between Viking and Anglo Saxon societies.