Vikings traced to migration from northern Germany 1,600 years ago, study finds

The Vikings' origins can be traced back to a migration from what is now northern Germany 1,600 years ago, according to the study. The migrants arrived in Denmark and southern Sweden with a new material culture and a completely new religion - and almost completely took over.

A few hundred years later, what is usually called the Viking Age began in Scandinavia.

Previously, there had been a gap before the Viking Age. It was like a black hole. But now we have an answer, says Kristian Kristiansen, professor of archaeology at the University of Gothenburg.

In the study of the spread of Germanic languages, an international research team analyzed the DNA of around 4,500 ancient people.

“Filling the gap”

The migration from northern Germany coincided with the emergence of Old Norse, the language the Vikings later spoke. At the same time, the migrants brought with them a new religion, with Odin as the main god.

The newcomers largely replaced the local population.

Everything that was there before just disappears, genetically speaking. And instead, the newcomers sweep through first eastern Denmark and then Skåne and the coast as far as Uppsala, says Kristian Kristiansen.

We were surprised ourselves, I must admit. But now we can fill the gap; we have found the genetic origins of the Danish and Swedish Vikings.

At the same time, there are clear genetic links to the Anglo-Saxons and their migration to the British Isles during the same period. According to the researchers, this may help explain why there are so many similarities between the Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons.

Unknown migration

By combining genetics with linguistic and archaeological evidence, researchers have been able to reconstruct ancient migrations and language changes.

Among other things, the study identified a previously unknown major migration to Scandinavia around 4,000 years ago, probably from areas around the Baltic Sea. The newcomers are believed to have brought with them an early precursor of today's Germanic languages, including Swedish.

Using the same methods, a parallel study sheds new light on the origins of the Celtic languages, tracing them to a westward migration from Central Europe around 3,000 years ago.

Genetics has opened up completely new possibilities. Thanks to it, we can verify, reject or modify the models we have of prehistory, says Johan Ling, professor of archaeology at the University of Gothenburg.