Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from four elite burials in the Ulitau region of central Kazakhstan and traced their ancestry to the Mongolian Plateau. The graves belong to members of the Golden Horde, the northwestern branch of the Mongol Empire founded by descendants of Genghis Khan. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and offer rare genetic data from the ruling class of this medieval state.
The Golden Horde took shape in the thirteenth century under Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan. His successors ruled large parts of Central Eurasia and Eastern Europe. Local tradition holds that one of the mausoleums studied in Ulitau contains Jochi’s remains. The research team did not confirm the identity of the individual in that tomb, but the genetic evidence places the buried elites within a clear Mongolian lineage.
Scientists extracted DNA from three men and one woman buried in the mausoleums. Genome analysis showed that the three men shared a paternal line. All carried a Y-chromosome lineage known as haplogroup C3, often linked to populations from the Mongolian Plateau. Around twenty years ago, researchers reported that a large number of men across Central Eurasia shared a related Y-chromosome pattern. Some estimates suggested that about one in 200 men carried a lineage traced to the Mongol expansion.
The new results add detail to that picture. The Golden Horde males belonged to a specific branch within the broader C3 group. Modern populations carry related branches at different frequencies, but the exact sublineage found in these tombs appears less common today than the larger cluster. Ancient DNA allows researchers to separate close branches that look similar in living populations.
The team also examined the full genomes of the four individuals. Most of their ancestry traces back to Ancient Northeast Asian groups. A smaller portion is linked to Ancient North Eurasians or steppe populations related to Scythians, including Kipchak tribes who lived in the region before and during Mongol rule. Historical sources describe alliances and integration between Mongol rulers and local steppe groups. The genetic data align with that record.
Archaeological evidence from the mausoleums supports this view. Burial structures and artifacts combine Mongol traditions with local elements, pointing to a ruling class that maintained eastern roots while governing western territories. The graves reflect a society in transition rather than one in isolation.
Researchers also built an identity-by-descent network using genomic data. Through this method, they identified genetic ties between the Ulitau individuals and medieval populations on the Mongolian Plateau. These links show continued biological connections between western Mongol elites and their eastern homelands.
The burial site of Genghis Khan has never been found, and without his remains, no direct genetic comparison is possible. Even so, the Ulitau genomes narrow the range of likely lineages within the ruling family. The study provides direct ancient DNA evidence from high-status Golden Horde burials and refines long-standing claims about the spread of haplogroup C3 during the Mongol Empire.
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