Genetic evidence suggests that some conquering Hungarians were of Uralic origin!

A groundbreaking study on the origins of the Hungarian people has been published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell. As part of an international collaboration, the Institute of Archaeogenomics of the Research Centre for the Humanities at Eötvös Loránd University (HTK AGI) analysed 120 ancient genomes from the territory between Western Siberia and the River Volga. This region, which has been largely unexplored from a genetic perspective, is crucial for understanding the origins and migrations of the early Hungarians.

Pioneering research has identified one of the most significant genetic sources of the 10th‑century conquering Hungarians: the Karayakupovo communities that flourished in the Ural Mountains region between the 8th and 10th centuries. These Uralic archaeological cultures had both cultural and now confirmed genetic links with the conquerors of the Carpathian Basin, according to a statement released by the institute.

The West Siberian roots

According to the research, the genetic foundation of the Karayakupovo groups primarily originated from the population that lived along the Rivers Irtysh and Tobol in Western Siberia in the 3rd–5th centuries AD, later known as the “post‑Sargatka” people. The genetic legacy of this community was decisive for both the Karayakupovo culture and for many individuals among the conquering Hungarians.

This means that a portion of the conquering Hungarians had ancient roots tracing back to Western Siberia in the first centuries after Christ. Genetic analyses also revealed that by the 6th century, populations living on both the eastern and western sides of the Urals had already formed a shared genetic unit, indicating that groups associated with the Hungarians were present on both sides of the mountain range at that time.

The network connecting the Carpathian Basin and the Urals

The research team also introduced a new method to build genetic relationship networks based on matching DNA segments. By analysing more than a thousand ancient samples, they found that parts of the early medieval populations of the Volga–Ural region and the Carpathian Basin formed a shared genetic network.