Ancient DNA reveals new migration routes for Germanic and Celtic languages

Geneticists and researchers at the University of Copenhagen sequenced 712 new ancient genomes from humans across Europe to trace the spread of Germanic and Celtic languages.

They analyzed these samples alongside 4,009 other genomes to compare genetic movements with archaeological evidence like pottery, burial styles, and runic inscriptions. The team discovered that a population migrated from the Baltic region, likely between Finland and northeastern Sweden, into southern Sweden and Denmark.

The researchers say this migration likely introduced the Germanic language group to Scandinavia roughly 800 years earlier than previous theories suggested. These newcomers integrated into the local population over a period of about 500 years. The study also tracked movements from southern Scandinavia into modern Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands about 1,650 years ago. These people moved into areas where others likely spoke Celtic languages.

This movement helps explain cultural and linguistic links between Scandinavia and Britain that had previously puzzled researchers. Regarding Celtic languages, the evidence suggests a westward migration occurred about 3,000 years ago. People moved from the Urnfield culture in eastern central Europe into France, Britain, Ireland, Italy, and the Iberian Peninsula. This finding challenges the long held theory that Celtic languages originated on the Atlantic coast.