Reference library / Sample profile

A man buried in Russia in the Iron Age era

Explore the recorded context, genetic comparisons and research behind this reference sample.

RussiaIron Age Ekven, Russia

A reference profile describes this sample. It does not establish a personal or family relationship.

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AI-generated artistic reconstruction, not a photograph of the individual.

Record

Sample details

Recorded details and available lineage markers.

Individual

Eurasian Nomadic individual, Russia

Sample ID: NEO253

Date Range

125 CE - 330 CE

Cultural Period

Iron Age Ekven, Russia

Biological Sex

Male

mtDNA Haplogroup

A2b1

Y-DNA Haplogroup

C-F6301

Social Role

Fisher (AI estimate, era-typical)

Geography

Location

Where this individual was discovered

Country Russia

Locality Ekven

Coordinates 66.0000, -170.1000

Chronology

Date range

When this individual lived in the broader context of human history

Eurasian Nomadic individual, Russia 125 CE - 330 CE

Context

Historical context

Background information associated with the reference record.

Overview

The Ekven Iron Age in Chukotka is dated broadly to around 500 BCE–500 CE and is associated with Arctic maritime lifeways. It is commonly linked to the Old Bering Sea complex, where coastal resources were central to daily subsistence.

Region & Environment

Chukotka’s coastal settings are characterized by cold conditions, strong seasonality, and marine productivity tied to sea-ice and seasonal migrations. Living strategies depended on the availability of marine mammals, fish, and other coastal resources, as well as on weather windows for travel.

Historical Context

During the Iron Age in Arctic contexts, “Iron” refers mainly to the broader archaeological period rather than universal ironworking; many Arctic societies relied on materials and technologies suited to local conditions. The Ekven horizon fits within wider patterns in the Bering region in which maritime exchange and shared technologies helped connect communities.

Populations & Lifeways

Ekven-associated populations are best understood as coastal maritime hunter-gatherers. Lifeways likely included coordinated hunting and processing of marine resources, with mobility linked to the seasonal rhythms of animals and ice conditions.

Archaeology & Material Culture

Archaeological remains are often dominated by small tools and items connected to hunting and processing. In Arctic maritime settings, inventories may include:

finely made stone tools suited to cutting and working materials
artifacts associated with marine hunting technologies
organic materials (where preserved) indicating clothing, sheltering, and gear construction Preservation can strongly bias what is recovered, so assemblages can vary by site and local conditions.

Culture & Society

Maritime subsistence requires cooperation and skill transmission, suggesting social systems organized around group hunting and shared knowledge. Cultural affiliation can be traced through patterned tool forms and related material traditions tied to the Old Bering Sea complex.

Legacy & Transition

Later developments in the Bering region built on earlier maritime lifeways as sea routes, technologies, and regional interactions continued to change. The Ekven period thus contributes to the long sequence of Arctic coastal adaptations that precede better-documented historical-era societies.

Analysis

Genetic comparisons

These comparisons show genetic similarity, not identity or origin. The populations listed are those whose genomes show statistical alignment to this ancient individual.

Similarity reflects shared history, not shared identity. These are analytical comparisons, not claims about who this person was.

Modern Genetic Admixture

This analysis compares the DNA profile with present-day reference populations, showing statistical similarity to modern reference populations from different regions. The excavation site records where this individual was found, not a fixed modern genetic identity.

Asia 61.2%

Northern Asian 41.9%

Siberian 35.5%

Mongolian 6.4%

Chinese & Southeast Asian 12.7%

Chinese 12.7%

Japanese & Korean 6.6%

Japanese 6.6%

America 37.1%

Native American 37.1%

Africa 1.7%

Northern East African 1.7%

Eastern African 1.7%

Closest Modern Populations

These are the modern populations showing the closest statistical alignment to A man buried in Russia in the Iron Age era, ranked by genetic distance. Lower distance values indicate closer statistical similarity. Cross-region similarity can reflect shared ancestry, population movement, continuity, or later admixture.

Eskimo Naukan

5.6130

Eskimo

6.3906