Ancient DNA Shows Europeans Had Dark Skin Until 3,000 Years Ago – A History-Changing Discovery

Wren Crowe

4 days ago

Ancient DNA Shows Europeans Had Dark Skin Until 3,000 Years Ago – A History-Changing Discovery

For decades, scientists believed that European populations developed lighter skin shortly after migrating from Africa approximately 45,000 years ago as a rapid adaptation to northern latitudes with less ultraviolet radiation. This prevailing narrative has shaped our collective understanding of ancient European appearance and has influenced depictions in historical reconstructions, museums, and popular media. However, groundbreaking genetic research published in early 2025 has dramatically upended this long-held belief, revealing that most ancient Europeans maintained dark skin tones until approximately 3,000 years ago—a finding that challenges fundamental assumptions about the timeline of human adaptation and evolution. The study, led by researchers at the University of Ferrara in Italy, provides compelling evidence that the lightening of European skin was a much more recent and gradual process than previously thought, occurring well into the Iron Age rather than soon after human migration into the continent.

Methodology and Findings of the Barbujani Study

The research team, led by Guido Barbujani from the University of Ferrara in Italy, conducted an extensive analysis of ancient genomes to determine the pigmentation traits of early Europeans. The scientists examined genetic material extracted from the bones and teeth of 348 individuals who lived between 45,000 and 1,700 years ago across a vast geographic area encompassing the British Isles, mainland Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and the Middle East1. This comprehensive sampling strategy allowed researchers to track changes in pigmentation traits across both time and space, providing an unprecedented view of human evolutionary history. To overcome the challenges posed by working with degraded ancient DNA, the team employed sophisticated probabilistic models and advanced forensic techniques specifically designed to predict pigmentation characteristics from fragmentary genetic material1 4.

The results of the study were striking and unexpected. The analysis revealed that 63% of ancient Europeans possessed dark skin, while merely 8% had fair skin, with the remaining individuals displaying intermediate skin tones1 5. This pattern persisted for tens of thousands of years, with significant lightening of skin pigmentation only becoming prevalent around 3,000 years ago2. Even during the Copper and Iron Ages, approximately 5,000 to 3,000 years ago, half of the analyzed individuals still exhibited dark or medium skin coloration1 2. These findings fundamentally challenge the assumption that light skin emerged rapidly in European populations as an adaptation to reduced sunlight exposure at northern latitudes. Instead, they suggest a much more complex and protracted evolutionary process that unfolded over many millennia.

Genetic Analysis Techniques and Reliability

The researchers employed cutting-edge DNA analysis methods to reconstruct the physical appearance of ancient Europeans. By extracting genetic material from skeletal remains and applying forensic techniques originally developed for criminal investigations, the team was able to identify specific genetic markers associated with pigmentation traits1. While ancient DNA is typically highly fragmented and degraded, advances in sequencing technology have made it possible to recover and analyze genome-wide data from specimens thousands of years old1. The scientists used probabilistic genotype likelihood approaches to account for the uncertainties inherent in working with degraded DNA, ensuring that their pigmentation predictions were as accurate as possible despite the challenges posed by ancient genetic material4 5.

The Complex Evolution of European Pigmentation

The findings of the Barbujani study reveal that the evolution of lighter skin in European populations was neither linear nor predictable. Rather than following a simple trajectory from dark to light as humans moved northward, the development of European pigmentation traits appears to have been characterized by periods of acceleration, stasis, and local variation4. This complexity challenges simplistic narratives about human adaptation and suggests that multiple factors beyond just latitude and sunlight exposure influenced the evolution of human pigmentation. The research indicates that the first light-skinned individuals did not appear in Europe until the Mesolithic period, approximately 12,000 years ago, and even then, they remained relatively rare4. The predominance of lighter skin tones only emerged during the latter part of the Iron Age, around 3,000 years ago, following millennia during which dark and intermediate skin tones were the norm among European populations1 2.

The study also revealed interesting patterns in the evolution of other pigmentation traits. For instance, the researchers observed “a peak of light eye pigmentation in Mesolithic times,” suggesting that blue eyes emerged in European populations well before light skin became common4. This finding is consistent with earlier research on specific ancient individuals, such as the 7,000-year-old hunter-gatherer discovered in Spain who possessed the unusual combination of blue eyes with dark skin and hair3. Such cases demonstrate that different pigmentation traits evolved independently of one another, rather than as a package, further complicating our understanding of human adaptation to different environments. The accelerated change in pigmentation traits during the spread of Neolithic farmers across Western Eurasia suggests that cultural and demographic shifts, in addition to environmental pressures, played important roles in shaping the genetic makeup of European populations4.

Theories Explaining the Delayed Evolution of Light Skin

The unexpected persistence of dark skin in European populations for tens of thousands of years raises important questions about why lighter pigmentation did not evolve more rapidly in response to reduced ultraviolet radiation at northern latitudes. Several theories have been proposed to explain this delayed evolutionary response. One prominent explanation focuses on dietary adaptations that may have reduced selective pressure for lighter skin. According to paleobiologist Nina Jablonski from Pennsylvania State University, ancient hunter-gatherers likely obtained sufficient vitamin D from their food sources, particularly from consuming vitamin D-rich animal products such as organ meats, fish, and marine mammals5. This dietary supplementation of vitamin D may have reduced the selective advantage of lighter skin, which primarily functions to enhance vitamin D synthesis in low-UV environments5 6.

Another theory suggests that the shift toward lighter skin was influenced by changing dietary patterns associated with the adoption of agriculture. Early farming communities may have compensated for potential vitamin D deficiencies by consuming nutrient-rich foods such as milk and meat, temporarily delaying the natural selection for lighter skin1. As population densities increased and farming practices evolved, dietary changes may have altered the selective pressures acting on skin pigmentation. The genetic evidence indicates that the abilities to digest lactose and starch developed after the transition from foraging to farming, supporting the idea that dietary shifts played an important role in human adaptation3. These dietary changes, combined with migrations and population admixture, likely contributed to the complex pattern of pigmentation evolution observed in the genetic record.

The Role of Migration and Population Admixture

The gradual lightening of European skin tones was likely influenced by migration patterns and genetic admixture between different populations. The study found that localized processes of gene flow and admixture played significant roles in shaping the pigmentation traits of specific regions4. Interestingly, the research also suggests that some Neanderthals may have developed light skin before modern humans arrived in Europe, indicating that skin pigmentation evolved through a more unpredictable path than previously assumed1. This finding highlights the complexity of human evolutionary history and the multiple factors that have shaped our physical characteristics over time. The study revealed that the ancient European individual examined was most closely genetically related to people in Sweden and Finland, suggesting complex migration patterns and population relationships across the continent3.

The Cheddar Man and Other Notable Ancient Europeans

The findings of the Barbujani study are consistent with earlier research on specific ancient European individuals, most notably the Cheddar Man. Discovered in 1903 in a cave in southwest England, the Cheddar Man lived approximately 10,000 years ago and is considered one of the first modern Britons2. Genetic analysis revealed that he possessed brown hair, blue eyes, and dark to black skin—a combination that surprised researchers when it was first identified2. DNA results indicated that the Cheddar Man’s ancestors arrived in Britain via the Middle East after leaving Africa, illustrating the complex migration patterns that have shaped European populations2. Similarly, Ötzi, the famous glacier mummy who died in the Alps 5,300 years ago, had dark skin—genetically darker than modern Southern Europeans, though lighter than present-day Sub-Saharan Africans1.

The 7,000-year-old hunter-gatherer discovered in Spain, known as La Brana 1, represents another example of an ancient European with unexpected pigmentation traits. Dr. Carles Lalueza-Fox, who led the study on this individual, expressed surprise at finding that while La Brana 1 had blue eyes, his genetic makeup indicated dark skin and hair3. “This was a result that was unexpected,” noted Dr. Lalueza-Fox, as it contradicted the assumption that lighter skin evolved quickly after humans migrated to Europe3. The La Brana hunter-gatherer had been in Europe for approximately 40,000 years (considering the timeline of human migration), yet still retained dark skin, challenging the idea that light skin was an immediate adaptation to northern latitudes3. These case studies provide tangible examples that support the broader population-level findings of the Barbujani study.

Implications for Cultural Representation and Historical Understanding

The revelation that most ancient Europeans had dark skin until relatively recently has profound implications for how we visualize and represent historical populations. Traditional depictions of ancient Europeans in museum exhibits, historical reconstructions, and popular media have typically portrayed them with light skin, reflecting modern European appearances rather than genetically accurate representations. This new research challenges us to reconsider these portrayals and update our cultural and educational materials to reflect scientific evidence about the appearance of ancient Europeans. The findings also complicate simplistic narratives about racial categories and historical population identities, highlighting that human physical characteristics have changed significantly over relatively recent timescales.

This research also contributes to our understanding of human adaptation and evolution more broadly. The fact that dark skin persisted in European populations for tens of thousands of years despite reduced ultraviolet radiation suggests that human adaptation to environmental conditions is more complex and nuanced than previously thought. Rather than a straightforward process of natural selection for optimal traits, human evolution appears to have been influenced by a combination of environmental pressures, dietary adaptations, cultural practices, migration patterns, and genetic admixture. The study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple factors when interpreting evolutionary changes in human populations and cautions against oversimplified explanations for complex genetic trajectories.

A More Complex Picture of Human Evolution

The groundbreaking research led by Guido Barbujani and his team provides compelling evidence that the majority of ancient Europeans had dark skin until approximately 3,000 years ago, challenging long-held assumptions about the timeline of pigmentation evolution. This finding forces us to reconsider traditional narratives about human adaptation and the factors that have shaped our physical characteristics over time. Rather than a simple story of rapid adaptation to northern latitudes, the evolution of European pigmentation traits appears to have been a complex process influenced by dietary changes, migration patterns, population admixture, and various selective pressures. The persistence of dark skin in European populations for tens of thousands of years suggests that humans found multiple ways to adapt to environments with reduced ultraviolet radiation, including through dietary supplementation of vitamin D and cultural practices.

As DNA technology continues to advance, we can expect further revelations about the appearance, migration patterns, and lifestyles of our ancestors. These scientific discoveries not only enhance our understanding of human evolutionary history but also challenge us to reconsider how we represent and conceptualize past populations. The image of ancient Europeans with dark skin reminds us that human physical characteristics are not fixed or immutable but have changed significantly over relatively recent timescales. This research ultimately contributes to a more nuanced and evidence-based understanding of human diversity and adaptation, moving beyond simplified narratives to embrace the complexity of our shared evolutionary journey.