Southern Greek 'genetic island' preserves Bronze Age paternal roots
A genetic study of the Deep Maniots, a small, isolated community in southern Greece, finds an unusually strong paternal lineage dating back to a Caucasus origin about 28,000 years ago and little evidence of Migration Period Germanic/Slavic input. Maternal lineages are more diverse, with several Bronze/Iron Age connections; both paternal and maternal lineages show founder effects around AD 380–670 and 540–866, respectively, highlighting long-term isolation and a patriarchal clan structure that preserved ancient Greek ancestry in the Deep Mani region.