Genetic study proves that Hungarians are the descendants of the Huns
According to hvg.hu, it seems that the argument about the Hungarians’ Hun origin re-emerges. Based on the analysis of findings from the time of the Hungarian conquest, geneticists believe that our ancestors’ DNA was quite similar to the Huns’. Moreover, they suggest that not the conquerors spoke the Hungarian language, but the Avars, who lived in the Carpathian Basin when the Hungarians arrived.
Archaeological genetics is a young field of study which aims to reconstruct historic events and origins with the help of DNA mainly extracted from bone remains. The oldest findings that were successfully analysed genetically are tens of thousands years old. The method of examining ancient DNA was also used in the process when scientists concluded that the Neanderthals were not completely wiped out from the Earth. According to findings, the genomes of modern humans still harbour around 2-4 per cent Neanderthal ancestry which must have been caused by interbreeding.
Tibor Török university professor and his team study the genetics of our ancestors at the Genetics Department of the University of Szeged. The researchers aim to trace back the origin of the Hungarians by analysing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) extracted from bone remains.
In their study, they came to the surprising conclusion that the Hungarian conquerors partly originate from the Huns.
This theory, which was popular for a long time, seems to be proven false after newly emerged linguistic/archaeological findings. It is no surprise that this genetic discovery made quite a noise in the scientific world.
Several earlier studies have proven that 4 per cent of the DNA of today’s Hungarians carry Asian ancestry. Interestingly, it is a relatively high rate compared to neighbouring nations, which is probably due to the Hun, Avar migration. However, the Szeged research group was also interested in the remaining 96 per cent components. It seems that the majority of the components can be found in the ancient European layer of the Neolithic-Bronze Age. More details could be found out through an elaborated, well-structured genetic examination.
Regarding the genetic setup of the Hungarian conquerors, the scientists detected 30-40 per cent Asian components. The fact that this rate has fallen to 4 per cent means that the examined conquerors contributed to the genetic map of today’s Hungarians with only 10 per cent. Since no major population change occurred in the Carpathian Basin after the conquest, the results support a previous theory, according to which the Hungarian conquerors consisted of a relatively small group.
The wandering of the Hungarians as taught in schools – Photo: Wiki Commons By Tambo
The research group spent a significant time mapping down the origin of the Asian components. They resequenced the entire mtDNA genome to look for clues. Theoretically, the Asian component could be originated from Finno-Ugric nations such as the Scythians, Huns or Avars. However, they ruled out the Finno-Ugric origin and came to the conclusion that it is the Huns who best fit the concept. Although, the contribution of the other two groups could not be entirely excluded either.
According to Tibor Török, archaeologists nowadays mostly support the Finno-Ugric theory. Although, this is actually not an archaeological theory, since the remains of the conquerors imply a steppe culture. Nonetheless, many archaeologists objected to the results of the new study as they believed that the linguistic relation was independent of the genetic relation, thus the research group contradicted a non-existent viewpoint.
Still, Török’s team firmly believed that linguistics and genetics are not completely independent of each other.
They argued that these two fields cannot be separated entirely as every existing language that survived for centuries must be traced back to a genetically distinct relatively large population. They also refer to a dominant theory according to which the Hungarian language was adopted from the conquerors, so they were supposed to carry more genetic prints than today’s Hungarians. Also, academics still originate the conquerors from proto-Uralic nations as no one has come up with a better alternative.
The social strata of the conquerors are one of the most important archaeological questions. For a long time, the conquerors were believed to be a small group of armed elite. However, it raises some questions as an elite group that only consisted of a few members could not possibly influence a much large crowd to adopt their language. In the Middle Ages, every elite group who later founded a state, such as the Goths, Franks, Lombards, Bulgars, linguistically blended with the natives who already resided in the area.
Scientists have already collected two hundred conquerors’ genetic data from 26 cemeteries and the findings all support the theory of a smaller elite group. However, the excavation of more “impoverished” cemeteries where common people were buried in the time of the Hungarian conquest has only started recently. The urging question of whether these cemeteries conceal the remains of the earlier native residents or of the common people who belonged to the migrant conquerors can be answered only if the two population groups will be genetically separated. However, it is only feasible if the genomes of the earlier native residents will be also examined.
Mihány Munkácsy: The Hungarian conquest – Photo (painting): Wiki Commons By Mihály Munkácsy (scan from old book)
The other main statement of the study is that Hungarian could have been already spoken by the people who originally lived in the Carpathian Basin when the conquerors arrived.
This theory would point to the Avar population, but the research group did not go as far as to state that the Avars spoke Hungarian since they were not able to draw linguistic conclusions from the genes alone. This hypothesis is actually not new among the debates between archaeologists and historians.
The genetic data also seem to support this theory since the Onoğur Bulgarians (who were part of the Hun alliance) spoke Turkish, and if it was truly a small Onoğur team that undertook the conquest, then the Hungarian language must have been already spoken in the region prior to this event. It would also explain the fact that a significant number of words of Turkish origin can be found in the Hungarian language. If this hypothesis is true, then only the population of the Avar era could be considered when looking for the people who spoke the Hungarian language. Naturally, the Avar chiefs would be excluded in this case as they must have consisted of a similarly small elite group like the Hungarian conquerors.
All in all, Török and his team’s findings seem to support the well-known hypothesis, according to which the conquerors could have been a small group among the Onoğur Bulgarians, who originated from Middle Asia and previously had a tight cousinship-alliance with the Huns.
The issue remains a topic of debate.
Featured image: Invasion of the Barbarians or The Huns approaching Rome (colour painting) – Wiki Commons By Ulpiano Checa
Source: http://hvg.hu/
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27 Comments
Very interesting. It would be interesting to see exactly how the Onoğur Bulgarians and the Huns are related.
The genetic study of the Genetics Department of the University of Szeged clearly states that the Hungarians are NOT the descendants of the Huns and are not of Asian origin at all (at least 96% of them), but you blatantly state the opposite in the title of this article.
It seems that you WANT exactly the opposite to what the scientific truth says.
By the way I am Bulgarian and recent DNA studies in Bulgaria clearly show that among the ethnic Bulgarians live less than 1% population with Asian origin.
You media is dishonest and so nag that sates exactly the opposite to what contemporary scientific studies have found.
So Hungarians, it obvious that somebody in Hungary wants to persuade you that you are Huns (this is a Turkish viewpoint for those who don’t know this). Simply ignore these lies and believe only what respectable scientific studies confirm and of course – believe in yourselves.
@Bulgarian,
You title says it all “BULL”garian. You speak so much Bullshit out, that it’s incredible that you could in real life have any audience at all. What ‘scientific studies’ are you talking about? Do you even understand what DNA is? Do you know what HAPLO group you belong to? Do you know where Hungary is located? Do you know who your parents where? Do you know anything? LMFAO!
bulgars not bulgarian
Dear Editor and Readers,
I liked the article in general, however I would argue with a few statements. Let me pick just one.
For example I object to the following lines which seem to reflect rather the author’s opinion than any scientific conclusion.
„Since no major change of population happened in the Carpathian Basin after the conquest, the results support previous data, according to which there weren’t many conquerors.”
The author does not seem to remember the devastating events of the Mongol Invasion ( Tatars ) of half of Europe in the 13th. century, a result of which at least 40% of the Hungarian population died, by slaughter or epidemic.
Rogerius of Apulia , and Italian monk and chronicler who witnessed and survived the invasion, even pointed out the genocidal element of the occupation. There were hundreds of settlements in the Hungarian Kingdom in which every single person was killed.
After the Mongols finally left Hungary , King Bela IV. invited Germanic people and Slavs to repopulate the country. During his reign, tens of thousands of colonists arrived from the Holy Roman Empire, Poland and other neighboring regions to settle in the depopulated lands. What would the author call this if not major change of population ?
Similarly , during the hundred and fifty year long Ottoman Turkish occupation of Hungary’s central region, whole villages became depopulated due to unbearable living conditions under the yoke of Islam, and the population fleeing for safer parts of the country.
At the end of the seventeenth century that region had to be repopulated, and again people arrived from all parts of Europe to do so. What would the author call this if not major change of population ?
Else.
The Chronicon Pictum – Illuminated Chronicle which is also referred to as Chronica Hungarorum from the second half of fourteenth century, tells you explicitly about the prehistory of the Hungarians, and draws a straight line between the Huns and Hungarians. It even provides you with a family tree of the early Kings of Hungary without a gap. The text of Latin is without error and the whole manuscript represents very high quality.
You all have a nice day.
It would be nice to see at least ONE single scientific source that is not Hungarian and confirms that the Hungarians are descendants of the Huns. Unfortunately there is none, the Hungarian people that try to spread this information are really starting to make themselves ridiculous in front of the whole educated world.
Origin of Huns (and Bulgars) is explained here: http://hunnobulgars.blogspot.nl/2016/04/origin-huns-bulgarians.html
@Chri and @Bulgarian,
Sorry about your messed up lives and how you now hate the world, but your understanding of Huns & Hungarians, my people lack any facts or knowledge. We have history in our culture teachings based on fact which explains it very well, and we don’t need to boast to anyone about it. Pavel gave a descent attempt, but in fact any visitors to Hungary will see HERO’s square with all it’s Chieftans. Then Huns went under many names (Magyars, Avars, Urs, Uyghurs, Szeklers, Bulgars) and lived in central europe for thousands of years in patches all speaking the same language and wearing the same gear and practices. These spread to Old Turks and Bulgars, not the other way around. The Xiang province in China west and central did host the Huns originally (documented even on Youtube), and the Turim mummies again, check their DNA to modern day Hungarians, a match. Phoniy undeducated western propaganda noise is all i see from the 2 clowns on this site so far.
Here are some more facts that western media outlets will have you believe too, China discovered the World sailing in 1421. You know China with their big sailing fleet…
http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesFarEast/China_Ming_Map01.htm
more in Santa Claus later…
If the Hungarian conquerors were “few in numbers” and an “elite of few” that actually took over the language of the Avars that lived in the Carpathian Basin at the time, then the Hungarians assimilated and the people living there are not even Hungarians but Avars.
@Jocasta,
Really?! What history comic books had you read?? ‘Hungarian conquerors’? Never heard of them. Heard of the Huns, Avars, Scythians, but never ‘Hungarian conquerors’. Hey i liked Batman and Superman growing up to. Thanks for your wonderful imaginations..
“Several studies have proven that only 4% of the DNA of today’s Hungarians show Asian origin.”
“Regarding the genetics of Hungarian conquerors, the scientists found a 30-40% Asian component.”
@Bulgarian
Can you even read ? We are talking about results from 2 different groups of Hungarians in 2 different ages! Moreover regarding today’s Hungarians that 4% can be moved up and down depending from where you take samples from. And that is why taking samples from today’s hungarians from heavily mixed areas and not from the the Eger area dont have probative value and dont link to the genetic research of the Magyar honfoglaló population.
Genetic study proves that old Magyars WERE the descendants of the Huns.
BUT modern Magyars are the descendants of the inhabitants of the former Kingdom of Hungary: Slavs, Germans, Romanians.
Rubbish. Just another attempt to seperate Hungary from Europe. I have known Hungarians as white as snow.
Thought provoking research. Well appreciated. What does Dr. Pok Attila have to say about your findings? Does he agree in part, wholeheartedly or tepidly?
I see similarities to the Norman (Viking) conquerors of England (“Angles Land”). The Normans were an élite few that took over and ruled the country about the same time as the Magyars conquered the Carpathian Basin, but modern Englishmen show little if any Norman (Viking) DNA, despite even earlier Viking invasion and settlement in a part of northeastern England then called the “Dane Law”. The Normans didn’t mix with the Anglo-Saxon serfs for 200 years. Nevertheless, the Norman’s changed Anglish to English, which includes 50% French words. The English Language still reflects the status of the Norman overlords and the Anglo-Saxon serfs. For example, animals are called by the Saxon words cow, pig, and sheep when they are in the farmyard, and by the Norman words beef, pork, and mutton after they are cooked and served at dinner. Something similar probably occurred in Hungary.
After 2000 years of invasion and conquest back and forth across Eurasia, nobody is pure anything anymore. Today’s English are Neanderthal (4%), African, Celt, Roman, Viking, Germanic, French, and who knows what else? Despite what Hitler believed, we are all mongrels. So enjoy your diversity, and you are probably right whoever you think you are descended from, including Charlemagne, Atilla, and King David.
IVO Hrvatska how did this article manage to trigger you snowflake? Most Eurasians were ‘white’, so don’t make this about race you insecure dimwit. Nobody has an agenda to separate Hungary from Europe, this has nothing to do with Europe as the continent wasn’t even properly designated at the time. However it is known that Huns and Magyar tribes settled in Hungary. They were all white but not snowflakes like you….
IVO Hevatska how did this article manage to trigger you snowflake? Most Eurasians were and still are ‘white’ skinned, you trying to distinguish them as separate shows how insecure you are. Especially when the article has no mention of skin pigmentation.. Additionally, Europe wasn’t even properly designated as a continent at that time. The Huns and Magyar tribes that settled then were white skinned but weren’t snowflakes like you.
If all Hungarian women look like the Gabor sisters, I want one for Christmas.
Dave Hungarian woman can be very pretty! You should found one for your self!
Thank You! Very interesting. I am researching for 20 years, hitting brick walls. I found your article open and research-provoking. More genetic comparison and less national pride of the Onugors, please. Angry, uninformed elements in answers do very little to further knowledge.
Who cares? Europe is in dire trouble because of Asiatic(((Yuwish))) invaders and needs to stick together.
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god damet nomads
where to install phone
Funny my ancestry is Canadian English Hungarian. My late grandmother came from Eastern Europe (Ukraine) and she mentioned to me numerous times Mongolian females who mixed with Russian/Scandinavian blood and their children sometimes had sometimes red or blond hair/ blue eyes but their eyes showed the Asian almond eye shape and smaller noselines.
Her husband was from Persia but he was also mixed with Russian/Korean because his mother was from the former USSR Kazakhstan region. Even Joanna Gaines from the cable tv program HBTV about remodeling houses with her husband Chip, recently notified and admitted viewers her mother was of South Korean ancestry, and her father was German.
We live in a small world and it comes as no surprise that Attila was a Half Asian Hun.
4 per cent of the DNA of today’s Hungarians carry Asian ancestry. +2 per cent Neanderthals gene. Denisovan?
Interesting the 22 per cent mongolian spot among newborn babies