Often considered the crossroads of modern civilization, the Middle East is a gateway to Africa, Europe, and Asia. When our human ancestors first walked out of Africa, it was through here that they found their paths to new frontiers.
Nestled in the middle of the world’s largest contiguous landmass, the Middle East region to this day is home to a wide variety of ethnicities, races and cultures. Many people – if they look hard enough – will find ancestry linking back to this ancient part of the world.
For some, however, their connection to the region may be more recent than they think. As such, let’s explore the DNA testing options for discovering your Middle Eastern ancestry, you will learn which are some of the best DNA test kits, how they work and what results they provide.
Which Middle Eastern DNA Tests Are Most Trusted?
Everybody has heard of DNA tests that uncover ancestry, but they’re not all created equal. Ultimately, choosing a comprehensive test that provides verified and accurate results is highly recommended.
AncestryDNA and 23andMe are the two best-known options in this regard. Both use saliva-based methods to collect your DNA, analyzing and comparing it to various genetic groups across the planet.
Within just a few short weeks, you can uncover loads of information about your family history – including when and where they last resided in the Middle East.
While AncestryDNA focuses specifically on ancestry results for your Middle Eastern lineage, 23andMe also provides health screening (and as such costs more). Find out more about the differences between the two tests before you buy.
Other Middle Eastern Ancestry DNA Tests
While the public is most familiar with ancestry tests provided by the two companies above, other viable options for finding your Middle Eastern ancestry are also available. Some incorporate the use of direct saliva, while others use swabs. Some analyze just your ancestry via DNA, while others check your DNA for important health-related genetic markers.
Vitagene offers ancestry and health insights via cheek swabs, providing ethnicity estimates from 25 different global groups and regions.
Family Tree DNA provides similar services at a slightly lower price point, analyzing 18 different populations and genetic clusters to determine your ancestry.
However, tests such as these generally lack the same level of features and ancestral analysis that the aforementioned providers offer to the public. By being able to pinpoint exactly where your Middle Eastern ancestors originated, you’ll have a better understanding of your long-term heritage.
What to Expect from an Ancestry DNA Test
We wrote previously on how DNA tests can be used to uncover Middle Eastern heritage (from a genetic standpoint, at least), but what else can you expect from these tests?
In terms of results, DNA tests that uncover your Middle Eastern history will unveil various regional ancestries, reference populations or ethnicity markers based on your actual DNA (click here to learn more about regional ancestry groups). These groups are often comprised of various ethnic and racial groups themselves, showing the complexity of humanity’s genetic structure.
Virtually every genetic test today utilizes saliva-based methods of collection and analysis. This involves either placing your saliva directly into a tube or swabbing your cheek and placing the swab into a tube, which is then mailed for analysis.
The Benefits of Uncovering Your Middle Eastern Ancestry
Tracking down your heritage and ancestry through DNA may seem convoluted, expensive and time-consuming, but there are truly tangible benefits in doing so.
First and foremost, comprehensive DNA testing solutions provide health analyses of genetic markers specific to individual ethnic groups. As such, you may have a predisposition to a particular genetic disorder or disease thanks to your ancestors that you don’t know about (for example, thalassemia – a blood disorder – is most commonly found among Arab population groups). Catching onto any potential genetic problems before they manifest can improve long-term health outcomes for you and your family.
Another benefit is an understanding of your lineage. All too often, those with Middle Eastern ancestry have experienced a cultural diaspora of sorts, being separated from their ancient ways of life and history both geographically and culturally. Many professional ancestry DNA tests provide a litany of information about the specific local area from which your ancestors originated. With thousands of years of civilization to uncover in many places, that’s a lot of connections to your past!
In general, learning about your Middle Eastern ancestry can also be a rewarding experience. Offering a chance to bond with your children, parents, grandchildren or family at-large, using DNA tests to uncover the origins of your blood-line can open an entirely new pathway for exploration. From tracking down distant generations of your family tree to scrap-booking the photos and memories of living relatives, DNA testing can serve as the first part of a broader experience that’ll bring you closer to your family.
The Verdict
DNA tests that explore your ancestry offer a worldview into the past you might not otherwise be able to access. Many are surprised by what they find, but even if you’re not, potential benefits await. From uncovering potential health considerations to learning about how your ancestors moved and lived, DNA tests that uncover Middle Eastern ancestry offer a wealth of knowledge to those who take them.