A new ancient DNA study has uncovered genetic links between some people associated with Europe's Huns and members of the elite of the Xiongnu, a powerful confederation that once ruled the Mongolian steppe. The findings add detail to a long-running question about the Huns' origins.
Researchers examined genetic data from 370 people who lived across Eurasia between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, including 35 newly sequenced genomes. Their analysis found shared inherited DNA segments between a small number of Hun-era individuals in Europe and people buried in elite Xiongnu contexts in Mongolia.
A diverse population, not a single migration
The genetic connections do not point to one large, direct migration from Mongolia to Europe. Most people in the Hun-era Carpathian Basin showed little East Asian ancestry, while a limited group--often associated with distinctive burials--carried stronger links to the eastern steppe.
The researchers suggest that generations of movement and intermarriage may have carried Xiongnu-related ancestry westward over time. The exact route and circumstances remain uncertain. The evidence instead presents the Huns as a population shaped by multiple ancestries and centuries of interaction, rather than a uniform group with a single origin.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research combined genetic analysis with archaeological and historical context. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology contributed to the work.
As ancient DNA datasets grow, combining genetics with archaeology may help researchers map how people and ideas moved across Eurasia with greater precision.
