More recent genetic research has actually found that ancient Sardinians do not show a large influx of Aegean or Levantine ancestry during the Bronze Age — they remain genetically more similar to early Neolithic European farmers than to the Aegean and Near Eastern populations associated with Bronze Age Mediterranean civilization.

This argues against a massive migration of Shardana people into Sardinia, though it does not rule out smaller-scale movements or the possibility that the name connection is simply wrong.

For the Shekelesh and Sicily, the evidence is similarly ambiguous.

The ancient name of Sicily in Greek was Sikelia, and the temptation to connect this to the Shekelesh of Egyptian records is strong but remains unconfirmed by direct evidence.

Whether the Shekelesh were from Sicily, or settled in Sicily, or simply had a name that coincidentally resembles “Sicily” is not established.