Tracing an Ancient Amazigh Lineage through Genetic Analysis
A comprehensive multi-disciplinary study examining the convergence of indigenous North African (E-PF2546) and European (H1-T16189C!) lineages within the Chtouka confederation of the Souss-Massa region.
The Souss-Massa Region
Souss-Massa Region: Traditional territory of the Chtouka confederation between the Atlas Mountains and Atlantic Ocean
The Souss-Massa is a fertile region in southwestern Morocco, nestled between the High Atlas Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. This ancient valley has been the heartland of Amazigh civilization for millennia, serving as a crossroads of cultures and a center of indigenous resistance and autonomy.
Maghreb Geographic Frame
This unlabeled map places the Souss-Massa homeland within its wider North African setting. It helps orient the regional scope of lineage movements discussed across this site, from Atlantic Morocco to neighboring Maghreb zones.
Geography & Climate
The Souss Valley stretches approximately 230 kilometers from the Atlas foothills to the Atlantic coast. Fed by the Souss River, this fertile plain contrasts sharply with the arid landscapes of the surrounding mountains and desert.
The Argan Ecosystem
Home to the endemic Argan tree (Argania spinosa), the region supports a unique ecosystem found nowhere else on Earth. The Argan forest has sustained local Amazigh communities for thousands of years.
Historical Significance
The Souss was the birthplace of the great Berber dynasties - the Almoravids and Almohads - who ruled an empire stretching from Spain to sub-Saharan Africa during the medieval period.
Cultural Heritage
The region remains the stronghold of Tachelhit (Shilha), the most widely spoken Amazigh language, with a rich tradition of oral poetry, music, and customary law that has survived for centuries.
Argan Ecosystem: The unique Argania spinosa trees that have sustained Amazigh communities for millennia
A Tale of Two Ancestries
This genetic heritage tells the story of two distinct ancestral streams converging in the heart of Morocco:
Paternal Line: E-PF2546
Origin: Indigenous North African (Amazigh)
Age: ~2,300 years (~300 BCE formation per YFull)
Story: A lineage that expanded dramatically across the Maghreb during the Iron Age, coinciding with the rise of the Mauritanian kingdoms and becoming the defining Y-chromosome of the Berber people. Whole Y-chromosome analysis (D'Atanasio et al. 2018) revealed the parent E-M81 clade underwent a surprisingly recent expansion.
Maternal Line: H1-T16189C!
Origin: Prehistoric European migration via Gibraltar
Age: ~11,400 years in North Africa (Early Holocene; Ottoni et al. 2010)
Story: A maternal lineage that crossed from Iberia during the early Holocene climatic optimum, part of the first Neolithic farmer migrations confirmed by ancient DNA (Villalba-Mouco et al. 2023, Nature), becoming deeply embedded in the North African gene pool and evolving local subclades (H1v, H1w, H1x).
Key Genetic Findings
Latest Research Updates (February 2026)
E-M81 re-dated: D'Atanasio et al. (2018, Scientific Reports) revealed a surprisingly recent TMRCA of ~2,000-3,000 years ago using whole Y-chromosome sequencing. E-PF2546 formation estimated at ~2,300 years BP per YFull.
Ancient DNA breakthroughs: Villalba-Mouco et al. (2023, Nature) confirmed Iberian Neolithic migrants reached Morocco. Salem et al. (2025, Nature) revealed ancestral Green Sahara lineages from ~7,000 ya in Libya.
H1 mtDNA confirmed: Colombo et al. (2025, Scientific Reports) surveyed 733 modern and 43 ancient mitogenomes, confirming North African-specific H1 subclades (H1v, H1w, H1x).
Technological advances: Consumer ancestry tests from ~$50-100; institutional whole-genome sequencing at ~$200/genome.
| Category | Result | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Paternal Y-DNA | E-PF2546 | Ancient Amazigh "Berber marker" with Iron Age expansion (~2,300 years ago per YFull; parent E-M81 TMRCA debated at ~2,000-4,200 ya) |
| Maternal mtDNA | H1-T16189C! | Prehistoric European lineage, Early Holocene arrival (~11,400 years ago; Ottoni et al. 2010) |
| Autosomal DNA | 100% Middle East & North Africa | Complete Maghrebi genetic signature |
| Tribal Affiliation | Chtouka Confederation | Indigenous Souss-Massa confederation |
Timeline of Heritage
Explore the Full Story
Dive deep into the comprehensive analysis combining genetics, archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology to understand how these two ancient lineages converged in the Souss-Massa valley.