What is Ethiopia & Eritrea DNA Ethnicity on Ancestry?

Ethiopia and Eritrea DNA Region

The Ethiopia and Eritrea DNA region covers a fairly large area of Africa but is concentrated mainly on three African countries in particular. With the exception of some of the southern and western border regions of Ethiopia this DNA is prevalent in the region. The region then extends north to encompass the majority of the country of Eritrea and almost all of the small nation of Djibouti.

Small pockets of Ethiopian and Eritrean DNA can also be found in the border regions with Sudan and Somalia. This makes for a broad range.

History of Africa

According to the paleontological record, it was the continent of Africa in which the first hominids developed. These early hominids were the first to walk in a bipedal motion and it is from them that eventually humans as we know them today evolved.

The fossil records suggest that homo sapiens were living in Africa between 260,000 to 350,000 years ago. Remains from South Africa, Morocco and Ethiopia seem to suggest that homo sapiens were already widespread throughout the continent during that time frame.

Ethiopian and Eritrean History

Prehistory

The country of Ethiopia has the distinction of being the origin location for the oldest hominid skeletal remains discovered to date, estimated at 4.2 million years old. It was also the location of the famous Lucy discovery, another ancient hominid found in the country's Awash Valley.

It is for the rich evidence of hominid presence that Ethiopia is considered one of the earliest locations for the emergence of anatomically modern humans. There are examples from fossils to prove this which date back 200,000 years.

Experts believe the first Afroasiatic speaking populations arrived in the area during the Neolithic era. Scholars suggest that they may have arrived from northeast Africa.

Kingdoms of D’mt and Aksum

The Kingdom of D’mt first arose in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia some time the 10^th century BC and lasted through to around the 5^th century BC. Not a great deal is known about the kingdom as little has been left in terms of inscriptions.

D’mt however does appear to have developed irrigation, plowing techniques and were able to create iron tools and weapons. Thought to be mainly indigenous to the region they may well have been influenced by the Sabaeans from what is known today as Yemen.

As will happen with ancient kingdoms, D’mt prospered for a number of centuries but eventually crumbled to be replaced by several smaller kingdoms. This would last until the first century AD when the Aksumite Kingdom rose to prominence.

Also known as the Axumite Empire it arose in the first century and would be a major power in the region for over 800 years. Again thought to be influenced by near neighbors the Sabaeans, the Aksums at various times would extend their empire into Yemen itself.

They were considered a major power during the 3^rd century and had numerous trading connections. In the fourth century under the reign of Ezana the kingdom officially adopted the name Ethiopia.

European Connections

Ethiopia had multiple connections with their neighbors but in the early 1500s they decided to try and expand their reach. Under Dawit II they began a connection with Portugal which started in 1508. This connection would ultimately bring Roman Catholicism to the country with the religion becoming state sanctioned by 1622. This was a decision not accepted well by the orthodox populace.

It would take a decade but eventually Emperor Fasilides would overturn the catholic state administration and reinstate the Orthodox Tewahedo religion.

Modern Era Ethiopia

The Ethiopia we recognize today first really formed in 1899 under Menelik II who ruled until his death in 1913. Menelik II set out to unite a divided country by way of annexation. This was a brutal time in the country with millions of citizens being killed, mutilated or enslaved.

The country is in a better place today but human rights violations still mar the existing government.

History of Eritrea

Much like its neighbor Ethiopia, Eritrea has a deep prehistory with a great deal of archaeological discoveries of interest. It is thought that around 2000 BC parts of Eritrea would have fallen within the boundaries of the famed Land of Punt. Mentioned in 2500 BC Punt was a land known for valuable trade in gold, aromatic resins, ebony and ivory.

Along with northern Ethiopia Eritrea was part of the successive kingdoms of D’mt and Aksum. With the fall of Aksum however Eritrea's connection to Ethiopia broke down. Over the ensuing centuries they would see influences from the Ottomans, Italy and eventually Britain.

In the 1950s Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie sought to Annex Eritrea. This ultimately was accepted by the British and Americans deeming it fair payment for Ethiopia’s assistance during WWII. This would lead to years of conflict until eventually in 1993 a vote by the people of Eritrea overwhelmingly supported independence.

Where Does My Ethiopia and Eritrea DNA Come From?

If you unexpectedly received a DNA estimate that showed this region then all indications are that at some point you had an ancestor who was born in either northern Ethiopia or Eritrea. These were not countries known to historically deal in the international slave trade unlike many west African states so migration would have been economy and conflict avoidance based.

Neither country is known for recent prosperity and years of war and conflict would have contributed to people fleeing the region. A large amount of this DNA would indicate a recent ancestor born in the area while smaller amounts could indicate a distant relative who may have moved to another African nation before finally settling elsewhere.

Can I Trace My Ethiopia and Eritrea Ancestry?

Some countries have a rich depth of recorded vital records while others may be extremely limited. Countries such as Ethiopia and Eritrea definitely fall into the latter category. If you have no idea where this region arose in your DNA and from whom it may be difficult to trace that individual back to their origin.

If you can discover who your first immigrant ancestor from the region was you may be able to access records regarding their immigration process. Often such records give more detail about the individual such as parents' names and place of birth.

Final Thoughts

The Ethiopian and Eritrean region has a rich archaeological history when it comes to early hominids. And modern day humans have lived in the region for hundreds of thousands of years. The region has ample natural resources and has seen kingdoms come and go.

In recent centuries conflict has marred the region and the potential records that could allow us to trace our ancestry from the region have largely been lost.

Neil Edwards

Genealogist and family-tree research specialist

Neil was born in Shropshire, England surrounded by centuries of living history. His interest in the past has been a lifelong passion leading to undergraduate degrees in both Economic History & Geography and History & Politics.

This interest in history quickly translated to family history when he moved to the U.S. in 2010. It was here that he began working on his own family tree as well as that of his American wife. That research allowed him to gain a wealth of experience working with both U.S. and European genealogical documents and studying their best uses in researching family history.

Following 9 years of honing his genealogical research skills, Neil was proud to have earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in late 2019. Neil also took part in the research process for a Duke University study into the families of 19th Century UK Members of Parliament.

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