Bahrain Sasanian Genomes MH1 MH2

The Sassanid Empire (224–651 CE), also known as the Sassanian or Neo-Persian Empire, was the last great Persian empire before the Islamic conquests, and it marked a high point of ancient Iranian civilization. Founded by Ardashir I after overthrowing the Parthian Arsacid dynasty, the Sassanid state saw itself as the true heir of the Achaemenid Empire and sought to revive many of its administrative and cultural traditions. The empire was centralized and hierarchical, with the shahanshah (“king of kings”) wielding immense power at the top. A powerful nobility, often hereditary, supported the monarchy, alongside a class of Zoroastrian clergy who held substantial influence. Provincial governors, called shahrabs, ruled regions semi-autonomously but under the authority of the central government.

Culturally, the Sassanids presided over a rich and cosmopolitan society. Zoroastrianism was the official state religion and deeply intertwined with the state apparatus, though other faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and later Manichaeism were also present within the empire’s diverse population. The court promoted Persian art, architecture, and literature, with grand palaces, rock reliefs, and intricate metalwork reflecting both religious themes and royal grandeur. The primary language of the empire was Middle Persian (Pahlavi), which was used in administration, religious texts, and inscriptions. This language, written in a script derived from Aramaic, played a vital role in preserving Iranian culture and ideas, even after the fall of the Sassanid state. The empire also developed a sophisticated bureaucracy and road system, facilitating communication and trade across a territory that stretched from Mesopotamia to parts of India and Central Asia.

For this video, I’ve prepared 2 Sassanid era genomes from Bahrain. I ran them through my Trait Predictor tool for DNA analysis to analyze their genetic traits, and qpAdmixture to determine their ethnic breakdown.