Ancient DNA reveals Europe's last hunter-gatherers survived until 2500 BCE
By Knowridge -February 16, 2026
Map indicating hunter-gatherer ancestry proportions across Europe 4500–2500 BCE. Credit: University of Huddersfield.
New research using ancient DNA has revealed that hunter-gatherer communities in parts of northwestern Europe survived far longer than previously believed — continuing their traditional way of life until about 2500 BCE.
The study, led by an international team of geneticists and archaeologists and published in Nature, shows that these groups persisted thousands of years after farming had spread across most of the continent. It also highlights the important role women played in this slow cultural transition.
Scientists analyzed complete genomes from ancient human remains found in what is now Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. These individuals lived between about 8500 and 1700 BCE, a time when Europe was undergoing major changes as farming spread from the Near East.
In most regions, the arrival of farming communities dramatically reshaped the genetic makeup of local populations. However, the new study found that this process unfolded very differently in the lowland river and coastal areas of northwestern Europe.
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https://knowridge.com/2026/02/ancient-dna-reveals-europes-last-hunter-gatherers-survived-until-2500-bce/