How useful is genetic for research on lines that end around the years 1500/1600 in continental Europ

LegacyUser

How useful is genetic for research on lines that end around the years 1500/1600 in continental Europe? And if is how is it useful? It seems to me that genetics is good for research in the last few hundred years but I'm not of its useful before that.

JeffreyBryant1

For that far back the Y-DNA test could be of value for your direct male line, if there are matches in the Y-DNA database. Autosomal DNA testing would probably not help you very much, but you may discover other family members that have information on your early ancestors.

surmonk1.5636508514297625E12

While autosomal DNA only is good as far back as 4-6 generations, Y-DNA and mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA - the matrilineal line) go back thousands of years. However, DNA by itself is not particularly useful, regardless of which type - it MUST be combined with documentary evidence to prove kinship/ancestors.

LegacyUser

Thank you. I'm in the time when there are no more church records and few surviving land or notary records.