1.3 Million People Share DNA with Maryland’s Earliest Colonists
A recent genetic study reveals that approximately 1.3 million living individuals are direct descendants of the earliest European settlers in Maryland, specifically those buried in St. Mary’s City between 1634 and 1734. Conducted by researchers from Harvard University, the Smithsonian Institution, and 23andMe, the project analyzed DNA from remains found in the Chapel Field cemetery, including those in rare lead coffins linked to the prominent Calvert family. Published in Current Biology, the findings demonstrate the vast genetic influence of this small initial population. Notably, the team used a novel approach combining ancient DNA with modern genealogical databases to identify unknown remains, potentially confirming the identity of Thomas Greene, Maryland’s second governor, along with his wife and son. The study also validated historical migration patterns, showing a significant movement of Catholic families from Maryland to Kentucky between 1780 and 1820 due to economic and religious pressures. This research marks a breakthrough in using ancient DNA to identify historical figures without prior knowledge of their identities.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page itself is projected from evidence records.
- Current automated evidence projection