Viking Origins | The Genetic History of Northern Europe

Published 2021-07-17
In this episode we are joined by Geneticist Razib Khan who takes us through the Genetic DNA history of Northern Europe.

We begin in prehistoric Scandinavia as we see the arrivals of the first peoples from various places and we see various migrations some of which are coming from Southern Europe that eventually replace the original Hunter Gatherers. We talk about historiography and archaeology and how their views have changed on the subject of Northern Europeans and their origins.

We eventually leave the prehistoric culture after discussing the Battle Axe culture and the controversy surrounding them and we approach the Nordic Bronze and Iron Age period in Northern Europe and we discuss various migrations and cultures that migrate in, supplant and absorb these preexisting peoples and cultures.

What role did Anatolian migrations have in early Northern Europe? Who were the original hunter gatherers? What impact did the arrival of Indo Europeans have on the original inhabitants?

Eventually we approach the Medieval world and we talk about the medieval populations of Northern Europe and then the Vikings and whether or not these travels and ventures surrounding piracy have an impact on DNA in Northern Europe and in the places they settled such as Ireland, Scotland, England and etc.

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All Comments (21)
  • To my dear subscribers, thank you all. You have my love and appreciation. Check out our store! History Merch: youtube.com/c/TheStudyofAntiquityandtheMiddleAges/… Get your history magazines here: www.karwansaraypublishers.com/?tap_a=88561-7cbe2d&… Enjoy history merchandise? Check out affiliate link to SPQR Emporium! spqr-emporium.com/?aff=3 Get a subscription to Ancient Origins and get access to awesome books, webinars and etc! Link : members.ancient-origins.net/referral/2f6e132a *Disclaimer, the above three links are affiliate links which means we will earn a generous commission from your magnificent purchase, just another way to help out the channel! Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/THESTUDYOFANTIQUITYANDTHEMIDDLEAG… Twitter: twitter.com/NickBarksdale Instagram: www.instagram.com/study_of_antiquity_middle_ages/ Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/164050034145170/
  • In Swedish we have a word for a coastal area that opens up for a boat to go in deeper inland, in the beginning, it is broad but the further in you go it narrows down and finally you reach the end. That is called a Vik. So a Viking could be somebody that travels by boat into a Vik for the purpose to find ways to make a profit or learn something new or build a new city or whatever positive endeavor. To find a new Vik.
  • @galenbjorn443
    4:40 Having pictures of African-looking people as Scandinavians is truly wild. No one living in Scandinavia pre-history had any Sub-Saharan African DNA or close ancestors. If we are talking about the WHG that were the first migrants to Scandinavia, yes they had darker skin than the Scandinavians do today, but they were all blue-eyed, had straight hair, thin lips, and a European/Scandinavian face structure. We really need to let go of this neo-science shit. And the EHG that mixed with the WHG, were light hair and skin but dark eyes. So the SHG would look like an average Swede does today
  • @MDE1992
    They spoke old Norse, which is very similar to modern day Icelandic, especially in grammar, and is the ancestor of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. Their DNA is very close to modern Danes, North Dutch, Norwegians and also surprisingly to Irish people.
  • @jcastle614
    Excellent presentation!! Very interesting. One of the best yet.
  • @anotherelvis
    11:00 Nitpick: The island is called Zealand (Kattegat is the name of the sea that separates Denmark, Sweden and Norway)
  • This was great ! He was trying not to offend any one but I wish I could speak to him so he could be completely truthful about the manifestation of those regions! Great video .
  • You have a great channel on early and middle history. You also have quite the radio voice. I am enjoying your channel.
  • @artpsych71
    I had trouble hear Razib clearly—due to his audio, as well as his speaking too fast. Thank you for this information. Very interesting.
  • @paul6925
    Great info! Only a minor suggestion. Can you convince Khan to use a better background? It’s so distracting with the lores camera and bad clipping that leaves white around his headphones. (Ok so I’m a graphic designer so I can’t stop fixating on it 😂)
  • @dianalynn6899
    This is very interesting. Could you please slow down a little bit and annunciate? I am having trouble understanding you.
  • There are people of predominately Polish origin who have trace amounts of Swedish ancestry. It makes sense because not too long before the Norman Conquest, the kings of Norway, Sweden and Denmark and the Grand Duke of the Poles former an alliance. Then, later on, around the 18th C, Sweden attacked the Poles repeatedly. With soldiers present, new babies often follow.
  • @sissy-_-fnyc
    How tough would you have to be to live in the north during the stone bronze age?