Who Were the Carthaginians? Ancient DNA Study Reveals Surprising Origins

Carthage, known for its vast Mediterranean empire and epic conflicts with Rome, was utterly destroyed in 146 B.C.E. The Romans, as victors, shaped much of what we know about the Carthaginians, or Punic people, leaving their origins shrouded in mystery. A groundbreaking study published in Nature on Wednesday sheds new light on their identity through ancient DNA analysis, revealing a surprising disconnect between their genetic and cultural roots.

A Phoenician Foundation, But Not in Blood

Historical records show that around 3,000 years ago, Phoenician traders from modern-day Lebanon, particularly from city-states like Tyre and Sidon, established trading posts across the Mediterranean, including Carthage in modern Tunisia. These Canaanite seafarers created the world’s first maritime trading empire, spreading their alphabet and culture as far as Spain. Yet, the new study finds that by the time Carthage rose to prominence, its people had almost no genetic link to these Levantine founders.

Researchers, led by Prof. David Reich of Harvard University, Dr. Harald Ringbauer of the Max Planck Institute, and Prof. Ilan Gronau of Reichman University, analyzed 210 genomes from skeletons buried in 14 Phoenician settlements across Iberia, Sicily, Sardinia, the Levant, and North Africa, including Carthage. The remains, dated between the 6th and 2nd centuries B.C.E., show that the Punic people were genetically closest to ancient populations from Sicily and Greece, with a significant and increasing contribution from North African ancestry as Carthage’s power grew.

“This is the first known case of a complete mismatch between genetic and cultural continuity,” Reich explains. Despite their diverse ancestry, the Carthaginians maintained strong cultural ties to their Phoenician origins, speaking a Semitic language, using the Canaanite alphabet, and worshipping deities like Baal and Tanit.

A Cosmopolitan Empire

The study suggests Carthage was a biologically cosmopolitan civilization, a cultural “franchise” passed from the Phoenicians to genetically distinct populations. Unlike Greek colonists, who mixed little with locals, the Carthaginians were exceptionally diverse. Their genetic profile likely stemmed from early mixing in Sicily and North Africa, spreading across their empire via a “Mediterranean highway” of trade and mobility. Evidence of this includes distant relatives found in different regions, such as second or third-degree cousins from Sicily and Tunisia.

The lack of earlier DNA samples—due to the Phoenician practice of cremation before the 6th century B.C.E.—leaves questions about when and how this genetic shift occurred. The original Phoenician settlers were likely few, and their Levantine ancestry was gradually diluted by local populations, especially as Carthage grew and the Phoenician city-states in the Levant fell to empires like the Assyrians and Persians.

Canaanites, Not Phoenicians

The term “Phoenician” was a Greek label, possibly linked to the purple dye they monopolized, while “Punic” was its Latin counterpart. The Carthaginians, however, identified as Canaanites, a term for the Bronze Age Levantine peoples. “In bilingual inscriptions, they called themselves Canaanites or named their city of origin, like Sidonians or Tyrians,” says Dr. Dalit Regev of the Israel Antiquities Authority, a study collaborator. This identity persisted in North Africa into the 5th century C.E.

This cultural continuity is striking given the genetic findings. Punic rituals, pottery, and religion mirrored Phoenician practices, yet their gene pool aligned more with their Greek rivals, with whom they vied for control of Sicily for centuries.

A New Model of Cultural Spread

The Carthaginian story challenges the assumption that successful cultures are tied to genetic proliferation. “If a culture is too successful, its original genetic carriers may be swamped by those who adopt it,” Gronau notes. Reich likens this to a franchise: locals adopted the Canaanite cultural package without genetic ties to its originators.

This pattern of cultural spread without genetic continuity has echoed through history, from the Roman Empire to modern cosmopolitan cities like New York or London. The Carthaginians may have pioneered this model, blending diverse ancestries while preserving a distinct cultural identity. Their story, long overshadowed by Greek and Roman narratives, continues to unfold as new discoveries challenge our understanding of this enigmatic people.