Welsh DNA: What’s the Genetic (DNA) History of Wales? A Window Into Post-Ice-Age Britain

Welsh DNA: What’s the Genetic (DNA) History of Wales? A Window Into Post-Ice-Age Britain

The genetic history of Wales shows that the Welsh are the most genetically similar to the people of ancient Britain following the last ice age compared to other groups in the British Isles. The reason for this is simple geography.

This is a map of Wales in the context of Europe. Over the centuries, the main migrations and invasions into Britain have come from the Vikings sailing from Scandinavia to the northeast of Britain, the Anglo-Saxons from the east, from places such as Denmark and Germany, and the Normans from modern France. The geography of Wales has meant that it is sheltered from the brunt of these migrations to a large degree. Furthermore, it seems that at times when there was foreign migrations into Britain, ancient Britons fled west to Wales for safety.

This is not to say that Wales was immune from invasions, with the Romans conquering large parts of Wales for instance, but they never had the same degree of migration patterns as other countries. The Anglo-Saxons left a notable genetic legacy on much of England for instance, and the Vikings left a notable genetic impression on Scotland, yet Wales seems to have escaped such impressions.

There is more to the story however. Various studies have noted a north/south split in Wales. Professor Peter Donnelly, a professor of statistical science at Oxford University, who conducted a 2012 study on Welsh DNA, stated that “people in north Wales look relatively distinct from people in south Wales."

The People of British Isles study also found that Wales forms a distinct genetic group from the rest of Britain, with a further division between north and south Wales. In fact, this study found that “north and south Wales are about as distinct genetically from each other as are central and southern England from northern England and Scotland.” This north-south division corresponds well with the ancient kingdoms of Gwynedd (gwinneth) in the north and Dyfed (Daved) in the south.

As we have seen, the Welsh are the most genetically similar to the earliest settlers of the British Isles after the last ice age than any other group in the British Isles. What’s your thoughts...

Sources:






#wales #history #dna

Chapters:
0:00 Welsh DNA
1:40 North/South Genetic Split
2:45 Support

[celtichistorydecoded]

Please let me know your thoughts below...


'He said people from south and north Wales genetically have "fairly large similarities with the ancestry of people from Ireland on the one hand and France on the other, which we think is most likely to be a combination of remnants of very ancient populations who moved across into Britain after the last Ice Age."'

[WelshAmericanChannel]

Hello from the Welsh American Channel. We Welsh Americans are very proud of our DNA, ancient heritage and our achievements in the US. Cymru am byth!"

[epichaiku]

Would love more information on this! My family is genetically Southern Welsh on my mom's side, and my husbands family is largely Northern Welsh on his dad's side, and we are just fascinated by all the history since discovering this.

[billmclaurin]

The Roman historian Tacitus in his book Britain and Germany was the first to notice this difference between the Welsh and other Britons. He compared the Caledonians/Picts with the Silures of south Wales. He noted that the Caledonains/Picts resembled the Germanic tribes, while the Silures resembled the Iberian tribes. The reason for this was because Wales had less Bell Beaker folk settling there than the rest of Britian during the early Bronze Age. So the Silures still looked like the Neolithic peoples who in turn were much darker like the Iberians.

[huwzebediahthomas]

Wales also had Irish population invasions in north-west and south-west of Wales. The Irish Desi tribe into south-west Wales Dyfed area, for instance.

[noahtylerpritchett]

1:00 Wales is also mountainous. So they're sheltered from any genetic influence. The Welsh are descendants of British Beaker folk and 10% Stone age survivors. They're genetically detached from any population. Including Celts and Romans.
Conquest doesn't mean genetic influx of course.

[johnl]

Rhys ap Gruffudd, Prince of South Wales is my 26th great grandfather. (Birth:1123...Dynevor Castle, Llandilio, Carmarthenshire, Wales...in that same line Einion ab Owain, Prince of Deheubarth is my 32nd great grandfather. (Birth: circa 935 / Death: 984 (44-53) (killed in battle by Hywel and Iestyn ap Owain ap Morgan Hen)

[MseeBMe]

A lot of good information in such a small amount of time - great work mate.

[beautifulpurpose-ubvz]

I found out that I have 3 percent of my DNA from Wales 7 percent Norway and 4 percent Irish

[Mark-IamNum]

Interesting. My DNA results came back that I am 100% Welsh! My father was from the Rhonda and my mother from Bargoed (both South Wales).

[FinnO]

Very interesting to hear as a Welshman with Irish and Scottish heritage. Thanks for the video mate!

[joannerichards]

I’m Welsh, I have no Irish DNA at all,

[TywysogCraig]

We are the natives that is why. They are doing their best to mix us up and to forget.
Yma o hyd

[noahtylerpritchett]

The term "after the last Ice age" seems disingenuous as it could be any time period ever. People often think Neolithic farmers or iron age Celts, being, after the last ice age. But the reality is British natives from a Single Grave variant of the Bell-beaker culture.

[stella]

I have no Irish dna whatsoever, nor in my family tree. My Welsh ancestors were from north east Powys, around Meifod, Mochnant & Mechain, which were cantrefs around the Vyrnwy. What surprised me the most was that it was not the English, nor any other foreign invader that killed our royal house of Mathrafal, but that of Owain Gwynedd, another Welshman. Roedd o’n gas. I curse him!
I believe my Welsh ancestors were there from the year dot…you can go back and back and they’re still Welsh!

[justanamerican]

If I recall correctly, in or around the 10th/11th century Flemish settlers came as weavers to take advantage of the wool produced in Wales. I found ancestors from Wales in my family tree. They were Normans, or at least French who came with the Normans and settled in Wales and seemed to blend in with the population. Bryant was the surname that made it to Virginia colony in the 17th century

[paulmattsson]

Interested, since the west coast of England from Wales up to the western lowlands of Scotland, was called the “Hen Ogledd” (the Old North in Old Welsh), and connected culturally to Wales. From the British Peoples study it suggests another distinct Neolithic era group in the Hen Ogledd who were Brythonic, were also “Welsh” so to speak - which really meant they were “waleis” or foreign to the Old English/Anglo-Saxons.

[charliesmiler]

Great Video. I live in Brecon / South powys. My Grandmothers Maiden name Was Doyle.

[kyrapatton]

I find this series great! while looking at my 3% Wales DNA and 1% Baltics. Because, most of my DNA come from southern Africa.

[Inquisitor_Vex]

A small correction on the pronunciation of “dyfed”, you said it like (da-ved) when it’s a (duh-ved). The ‘a’ sound makes it sound more like the Welsh for David (Dafydd).

Gwynedd was spot on though.