An international genetic study with the participation of Greek researchers reveals that the inhabitants of Mesa Mani (mesa means inner in Greek) constitute a unique genetic “islet” in Europe, one of the most distinctive genetically defined populations, due to their geographical isolation for more than ten centuries.

The findings, published in the journal Communications Biology of the Nature group, show that many genealogical lineages of today’s inhabitants of the region have their roots in the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Roman Period.

Mesa Mani, that is, the area south of Areopoli, with its rugged mountains, striking coastlines, and famous stone towers, has over time fascinated leading travelers, historians, and writers—most notably Jules Verne and Patrick Leigh Fermor. The hardy character of the Maniots and their martial spirit allowed them to preserve their autonomy against various conquerors. The Maniots, moreover, played a pivotal role in the Greek War of Independence of 1821.

“Our results show that historical isolation left a clear genetic imprint on the Mesa Maniots, as they have no recent patrilineal genetic relationship with any other population on the planet,” stated the lead author of the study, Dr. Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou, assistant professor at Tel Aviv University and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

“One could say that the Mesa Maniots constitute a connecting link to the genetic landscape of southern Greece prior to the demographic rearrangements of the early Middle Ages, and they likely descend from the same people who built the unique megalithic structures found in Mesa Mani,” he added.

the lead author of the study, Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou (left), with the Maniot sculptor, painter, and writer Michalis Kassis (Vinya Tsopela).

The researchers collected genetic material from more than 100 men from Mesa Mani, which they analyzed in the laboratories of FamilyTreeDNA, the company that contributed to isolating Beethoven’s DNA from a strand of his hair and clarifying his ancestry.

They then compared the DNA of the Mesa Maniots with thousands of ancient DNA samples and with the genomes of more than 1.3 million people worldwide, in order to identify possible genetic relationships between the Mesa Maniots and other populations.

The analysis revealed that the Mesa Maniots constitute a unique genetic “time capsule” within mainland Greece, as most paternal genealogical lineages date back to the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Roman period.

Their genetic composition was not affected by the major population movements that reshaped the demography and genome of the inhabitants of Greece and other Balkan populations after the fall of Rome. In contrast to many other populations of mainland Greece, the Mesa Maniots show minimal evidence of assimilation of later populations, such as the Slavs, whose arrival in the 6th century AD drastically altered the genetic and linguistic landscape of southeastern Europe.

Indeed, their geographical and temporal distribution faithfully reflects the spread of the distinctive and globally unique megalithic residential architecture of Mesa Mani.

“It was found that for at least 1,400 years the Mesa Maniots were extremely isolated, and this is probably why they managed to develop and preserve customs, traditions, and architecture that exist nowhere else in Greece,” Dr. Davranoglou told the Athens–Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).

The Church of Saint George (11th–12th century) in the ancient settlement of Ano Poula. The church follows the megalithic building tradition of Mesa Mani, characterized by the use of extremely large stone blocks placed without mortar (Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou).

“Genetics does not divide us”

Dr. Davranoglou clarified, however, that “DNA does not tell us anything about a person’s identity or about how Greek someone is. Greekness is a cultural characteristic, not a genetic one. Moreover, although the Maniots were isolated for more than 1,400 years, ultimately all humans are mixtures of different populations—genetics brings us closer together, it does not divide us.”

“Numerous genetic studies show that the ancient Greeks mixed with various populations, while the Roman and Byzantine empires were extremely multiethnic. Simply, after the 6th century AD, most populations of the Greek area assimilated additional groups, such as Slavs, Vlachs, Arvanites, and others, who did not, however, come into contact with the Mesa Maniots.”

A Common Ancestor

The study revealed that more than 50% of today’s men in Mesa Mani descend from a single ancestor who lived in the 7th century AD. This finding suggests that at some point in the turbulent history of Mesa Mani, the local population experienced a devastating decline—most likely due to epidemics, wars, and widespread instability—and that the few survivors and their descendants then remained in relative isolation within Mesa Mani for centuries.

By contrast, matrilineal ancestry tells a more complex story than patrilineal ancestry. “While many maternal genealogical lineages show the same characteristics of long-term local continuity as the paternal ones,” the second corresponding author, Professor Alexandros Irakleidis of the European University Cyprus, told ANA-MPA, “others indicate limited contacts with populations of the eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, western Europe, and even North Africa.”

“These genetic patterns are consistent with a strongly patriarchal society, in which men remained rooted in their place of origin, while a small number of foreign women were integrated into the local population.”

Dr. Anargyros Mariolis, director of the Areopoli Health Center and a member of the research team, has built relationships of trust with the local community.

“Fertile soil does not easily produce heroes”

In addition to genetic research, the scientific team studied Venetian, Ottoman, and more recent archives and conducted interviews with at least 60 elderly residents in almost every village of Mesa Mani.

Significant information was provided by the painter, writer, and sculptor Michalis Kassis, who recounted, among other things: “It is no coincidence that no conqueror managed to establish himself in Mani. The land was relentlessly harsh even for its own inhabitants. In winter our bare feet ached from the cold; in summer the sun burned us mercilessly. Stones, sun, sea—this is Mani. And so people became resilient and tough in order to survive. And if someone had a little bread, a little cheese, and a few olives, then he was truly rich. Soft and fertile soil does not easily produce heroes.”

As many villages of Mesa Mani were historically inhabited by a single clan, the research team worked closely with the local community to ensure that volunteers came from many different clans and settlements, thus ensuring that the sampling was representative of the population. Sampling was conducted in cooperation with Dr. Anargyros Mariolis, director of the Areopoli Health Center.

The researchers then compared oral traditions with genetic data and found that the two often converge. “Many oral traditions of shared ancestry, passed down for centuries, are now genetically confirmed,” notes Athanasios Kofinakos, co-author of the study and research advisor on Maniot genealogy and history.

As Mr. Anargyros Mariolis describes it, “this study gives voice to the stories of our ancestors. As a Mesa Maniot myself, I wish my ancestors had had the opportunity to know that many of their oral traditions are confirmed by genetic science.”

Searching for Genetic Diseases

Provided that funding is secured for the continuation of the research, the scientific team intends to investigate the information genetics can provide regarding population health and the identification of diseases with a possible genetic basis.

As noted by Professor of Medicine at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and surgeon Theodoros Mariolis-Sapsakos, “the research team intends to engage once again with the community in order to explore whether future analyses of clinically significant genetic markers could contribute to a deeper understanding of the health of the Mesa Maniots and lead to new strategies for safeguarding and strengthening it.”