They Lived Thousands of Years Ago.
You Carry Their DNA.

Not necessarily. A match indicates that you share DNA segments with an ancient individual, which could mean you share a common ancestor—but it doesn't prove the ancient person is your direct ancestor. The connection might be through a shared population, a common ancestral group, or even coincidental similarity (IBS). Longer, stronger matches are more likely to indicate true shared ancestry, while shorter segments may be coincidental. Think of matches as clues to your deep ancestry, not as proof of a specific family tree.

IBS (Identical by State) means two DNA segments look the same—they have matching genetic sequences. IBD (Identical by Descent) means those matching segments were inherited from a common ancestor. All IBD segments are IBS, but not all IBS segments are IBD. Short segments can match by chance (IBS without being IBD), especially when comparing to ancient DNA from thousands of years ago. Our analysis detects IBS segments and uses statistical methods to assess which ones are likely to be IBD. Longer segments are more likely to be truly inherited from a shared ancestor.

Match quality depends on several factors: Segment length—longer segments are more reliable indicators of shared ancestry. Segment count—multiple segments across different chromosomes strengthen the signal. SNP density—more SNPs in a segment means more data to compare. Ancient sample quality—well-preserved samples with high DNA coverage produce more reliable matches. Our match quality scores combine these factors to help you focus on your most meaningful connections.

The segment detection itself is highly accurate—we're identifying real DNA overlaps between you and ancient samples. The interpretation of what those matches mean requires more nuance. High-quality matches (long segments, high SNP density, multiple chromosomes) are strong evidence of shared ancestry. Lower-quality matches may still be meaningful but carry more uncertainty. We provide match quality indicators and segment details so you can evaluate each connection. Ancient DNA matching is a powerful tool for exploring deep ancestry, but it's probabilistic rather than definitive.

We accept raw DNA files from major testing companies including 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, Living DNA, and other standard formats. Your DNA file must contain autosomal data. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) files provide the most comprehensive results.

Most Shared Roots reports are ready within 2-24 hours after purchase and file upload, depending on system load. You'll receive an email notification when your report is ready, and you can access it anytime from your account dashboard.

Absolutely. Your genetic data is encrypted using industry-standard 256-bit SSL/TLS protocols and stored securely. We never share or sell your data to third parties. We are fully GDPR compliant, and you can delete your data at any time from your account settings. See our Privacy section for more details.

Yes! Once you purchase the Shared Roots report, you have lifetime access to your results. Your report will also be updated automatically as we add new ancient samples to our database, at no additional cost. This means your matches may grow over time as new archaeological discoveries are published.