DNA study reveals mixed African and Asian ancestry of Medieval Swahilis.

A DNA study of 80 people who lived in different Swahili areas from 1250 to 1800 CE has revealed that up to half of the DNA of people from Swahili areas was from Persia (90 percent) and India (10 percent). The other half was almost entirely African women, confirming ancient oral histories about the shared ancestry of Swahili people. The study also showed that the hallmarks of Swahili civilisation predated the arrivals from abroad. The intermingling was mostly Persian men having children with African women, and from about 1500 CE, the ancestors increasingly came from Arabia.