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The Origins and Spread of Blue Eyes in Europe: Evidence from Ancient DNA

Were Viking eyes really blue? Did Romans look more brown? And where do Europe’s first blue irises show up in the record?

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Davide Piffer
Sep 19, 2025
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How blue-eyed were the Vikings really? What about the Romans? And when did our ancestors first develop those striking blue eyes? Using 4,133 ancient genomes spanning 44,000 years, I set out to answer these fascinating questions.

The Big Questions

Popular culture paints Vikings as predominantly blue-eyed warriors, but how accurate is this image? Meanwhile,…

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