6,000-Year-Old Scandinavian Woman's Face Reveals Surprising Ancestry

A 6,000-year-old woman's complete genome was extracted from ancient chewing gum found in Denmark, revealing she had dark skin, blue eyes, and black hair, overturning previous assumptions about early European appearance. The discovery provides unprecedented insight into Stone Age life. The woman, named Lola, was a hunter-gatherer from Syltholm, Denmark, whose DNA was recovered from birch pitch. Analysis showed she ate hazelnuts and duck, and carried the Epstein-Barr virus. Her genetic profile suggests distinct population waves colonized Scandinavia after the last ice age. This finding aligns with other research showing early Europeans had dark skin and blue eyes, with lighter skin emerging later through Neanderthal interbreeding, Anatolian farmer migrations, Yamnaya invasions, and natural selection for vitamin D synthesis in northern latitudes.