The results were striking.

The Middle Bronze Age individual from Ashkelon showed genetics typical of ancient Canaanites — derived primarily from the ancient Near Eastern populations that had inhabited the Levant for thousands of years.

The early Iron Age Philistine individuals — those from the period associated with the initial Philistine settlement — showed a markedly different genetic profile.

They had a significant component of ancestry related to ancient European and Aegean populations, above and beyond what was present in the earlier Canaanite population.

Specifically, they showed genetic affinities to populations from Crete, Cyprus, and the Mycenaean Aegean region.