South Africa: Axe throwers of the Iron Age
Select a profile (DNA file) from the list:
New Test!
What's included in this test?
- This test provides powerful, innovative, and interactive DNA-based tools to help you explore your deep ancestral roots in southern Africa, trace the spread of Iron Age technologies, and uncover your genetic connections to the early Iron Age communities known for their distinctive weaponry and metallurgical traditions.
- Discover how closely you are related to South Africa: Axe Throwers of the Iron Age (295 BC–767 AD), individuals associated with early and middle Iron Age societies of southern Africa—metalworkers, warriors, farmers, and herders who mastered iron smelting, produced distinctive axes and tools, and established mobile and settled communities across savanna and woodland landscapes:
- Receive a detailed breakdown of your ancient geographical origins, interactive ancestry maps showing where your ancestors lived, migrated, farmed, smelted iron, crafted weapons and tools, and interacted with neighboring communities during the formative centuries of Iron Age southern Africa. You will also see your exact genetic similarity to each individual included in this Iron Age dataset.
- Compare your DNA with over 50 modern worldwide populations.
- Journey back more than two millennia to reconnect with the Iron Age peoples of southern Africa—communities whose technological innovations, mobility, and social organization laid the foundations for later African kingdoms and cultural traditions.
- Help us reconstruct the origins, technological spread, and population dynamics of Iron Age societies in southern Africa using the power of ancient DNA.
- Meet the Iron Age Axe Throwers — Forging Power and Identity in Ancient Africa, this can be Your Story.
- Basic test includes 5 members.
- Advanced test includes 10 members. Best Deal: Unlock access to a broader collection of African Iron Age and historical DNA tests with our compendium: People of South Africa
About the test
South Africa: Axe Throwers of the Iron Age (295 BC–767 AD)
Explore the dynamic Iron Age landscapes of **southern Africa**, when hunter-gatherer traditions, incoming agro-pastoral lifeways, and emerging iron technologies reshaped societies along the coast and interior. This test traces your genetic connections to communities living in what is now **South Africa** during the centuries spanning the Late Iron Age and early first millennium AD—a period characterized by technological innovation, regional interaction, and shifting population structures.
These populations occupied coastal bays, inland rock shelters, and elevated hills, exploiting marine resources, practicing mixed subsistence strategies, and, in some regions, adopting iron tools and weapons. The genomes preserved here capture both **deep indigenous southern African ancestry** and signals associated with Iron Age demographic change, revealing how local communities adapted to new technologies while maintaining long-standing regional continuity.
Collected and reconstructed from:
This test reveals:
Perfect for:
Your personalized report includes:
Discover your connection to the Iron Age peoples of southern Africa—communities whose mastery of tools, weapons, and landscapes forged resilient societies long before the modern era.
Explore the dynamic Iron Age landscapes of **southern Africa**, when hunter-gatherer traditions, incoming agro-pastoral lifeways, and emerging iron technologies reshaped societies along the coast and interior. This test traces your genetic connections to communities living in what is now **South Africa** during the centuries spanning the Late Iron Age and early first millennium AD—a period characterized by technological innovation, regional interaction, and shifting population structures.
These populations occupied coastal bays, inland rock shelters, and elevated hills, exploiting marine resources, practicing mixed subsistence strategies, and, in some regions, adopting iron tools and weapons. The genomes preserved here capture both **deep indigenous southern African ancestry** and signals associated with Iron Age demographic change, revealing how local communities adapted to new technologies while maintaining long-standing regional continuity.
Collected and reconstructed from:
-
St. Helena
A coastal locality reflecting marine-oriented subsistence and long-term occupation. Individuals from St. Helena preserve genetic signals rooted in deep southern African ancestry, providing a baseline for Iron Age population structure. -
Doonside
Representing coastal settlement activity, Doonside individuals highlight communities exploiting shoreline resources while interacting with inland groups during the Iron Age. -
Ballito Bay A & B
Key coastal sites on South Africa’s eastern seaboard. Individuals from Ballito Bay are critical for understanding population continuity and transformation among Iron Age coastal communities. -
Faraoskop Rock Shelter
An inland rock shelter capturing continuity between hunter-gatherer traditions and later Iron Age lifeways, including the use of composite tools and weapons. -
Kasteelberg
A prominent hilltop site reflecting settlement organization and regional control during the Iron Age. Genomes here illustrate how inland communities participated in wider networks of exchange and innovation. -
Dornod — South Bank of the Kherlen River
Included as a comparative reference population, these individuals provide broader Eurasian context for distinguishing regional genetic signatures and mobility patterns in Iron Age datasets.
This test reveals:
- Your genetic similarity to Iron Age populations of southern Africa
- Continuity between earlier hunter-gatherer groups and Iron Age communities
- The demographic backdrop to the adoption of iron tools and weapons
- Regional diversity among coastal, inland, and upland populations
Perfect for:
- Individuals with southern African or broader sub-Saharan African ancestry
- People interested in African Iron Age societies and technological transitions
- Historians and archaeology enthusiasts exploring precolonial southern Africa
Your personalized report includes:
- Direct comparison to individuals from Ballito Bay, Kasteelberg, and related Iron Age sites
- An ancestry breakdown focused on southern African Iron Age populations (295 BC–767 AD)
- mtDNA and Y-DNA haplogroups associated with Iron Age southern African lineages
- Interactive maps showing coastal settlements, inland routes, and ecological zones
- Archaeological context explaining Iron Age technologies and lifeways
Discover your connection to the Iron Age peoples of southern Africa—communities whose mastery of tools, weapons, and landscapes forged resilient societies long before the modern era.
Similar tests
Why take this test
Up until 2010, reading the DNA of ancient people was a dream. Since then, the DNA of a Neanderthal who lived over 30,000 years ago has been sequenced. After that reading, the DNA of ancient people who lived from 15,000 BC to 1,800 AD all over the world became the main object of paleogenomic research. This leap forward in technology allowed the creation of a new type of DNA test — tests that do not use modern-day populations as stand-ins for the ancient tribes but rather go right to the source and study these ancient peoples themselves.
The Ancient DNA Hub DNA test is the first next-generation DNA test. It is designed solely using the DNA of ancient people throughout history using our novel technologies.
With this test, you will receive a precise ancient ethnicity estimate with far greater geographical details than you could imagine. You will make new connections with historical people and places where your ancestors lived, walked, battled, created, and dreamed thousands of years ago. Using genetic data and evidence from history and archeology, we can revive the past and allow you to take part in this story at the most personal level.
The Ancient DNA Hub DNA test is the first next-generation DNA test. It is designed solely using the DNA of ancient people throughout history using our novel technologies.
With this test, you will receive a precise ancient ethnicity estimate with far greater geographical details than you could imagine. You will make new connections with historical people and places where your ancestors lived, walked, battled, created, and dreamed thousands of years ago. Using genetic data and evidence from history and archeology, we can revive the past and allow you to take part in this story at the most personal level.
