The origin of haplogroup I1-M253 in Eastern Europe

One of the actual issues of modern genetic genealogy is the origin of a haplogroup. It is not easy to connect data on genetics, archeology, linguistics, anthropology and other related sciences. In this paper the author tries to find the root of haplogroup I1-M253 in Eastern Europe.

The origin of haplogroup I1-M253 in Eastern Europe Alexander Shtrunov

In 11-10th millennium BC global climate changes took place, this led to the melting of theice cover in Scandinavia. Vegetation penetrated to the territories cleared from the ice cover, withthe main food of local population – reindeer – following after it; that caused the migration of Paleolithic hunters. The colonization of Scandinavia,Baltic and Central Eastern Europe was started.

In the Mesolithic haplogroup I1 faced theeastern newcomers, who related confidently withhaplogroup N1c. They had Uraloid appearance(with a Mongoloid and Caucasoid features).Spreading of Uralic languages in Eastern Europeis connected with N1c.

Relations between the newcomers and abori-ginal population were generally peaceful; it isevident from mixed graves and gradual appear-ance of mixed anthropological types.

The next important step to the formation of present situation was made by the carriers of cord ceramics cultures, who had haplogroup R1a, and were related to the spreading of South-ern European agricultural and pastoral tribes inCentral Europe.

In the 3rd millennium BC tribes of corded ce-ramics from Central Europe entered the Balticregion (Corded ware culture) and the upper andmiddle Volga areas (Fatyanovo-Balanovo cultures. Their anthropological type wassharply dolichocranic with moderately broad-Caucasoid type.

Most likely the tribes of corded ceramics werequite aggressive and forced out aboriginal popu-lation (I1/N1c) to the remote areas and partiallyassimilated it. Aboriginal population could notcompete with the newcomers economically andmilitarily, because it was not familiar with metal-lurgy and productive farming.

Mass migration of Slavic tribes (VII-VIII cen-turies AD) that have made significant changes tothe gene pool of Eastern Europe should also bementioned. The Slavs were mainly the carriers of haplogroup R1a (more) and I2a.

As a result of these processes carriers of Haplogroup I1 were partially displaced from theirareals and assimilated by more developed newcomers.

In the end I would like to highlight the basic conclusions:

– Roots of haplogroup I1 evidently came fromsuch Paleolithic cultures as Ahrensburgian andSwiderian; its carriers represented were the partof autochthonous population of Northern andEastern Europe.

– The main activities of carriers of haplogroupI1 were hunting and gathering.

– Initial anthropological appearance of carriersof haplogroup I1 was sharply dolichocranic,broad-faced, tall Caucasoid type.

– Carriers of haplogroup I1 were speakers of Paleo-European language, which didn’t belong tothe Uralic or Indo-European families. Its traceswere reveiled in the European toponimy and inthe Sami language.

Compact local maximum of frequencies of I1in the center of the Russian Plain is the consequence of ancient migrations of Paleolithic popu-lation of Europe, which led to the foundation of Upper Volga culture (the 6-5th millennium BC).