In recent days, widespread media reports have claimed that the Piast dynasty may have had Scottish origins—claims based on long-anticipated genetic research. A team led by Professor Marek Figlerowicz of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry at the Polish Academy of Sciences announced that DNA analysis had identified the R1b-S747 haplogroup—typically found in populations of the British Isles—in the ancestors of the Piast dynasty. However, these findings have sparked significant controversy within the scientific community. 

Dr. Dariusz Błaszczyk from the Faculty of Archaeology at the University of Warsaw strongly criticizes these interpretations, pointing to numerous errors in the classification and analysis of the haplogroups. He notes that misclassification may have resulted from DNA sample degradation, contamination, or incorrect sequence readings. Moreover, the assignment of the R1b-S747 haplogroup was based on a single sample attributed to Wenceslaus I of Płock (1293–1336), which is too limited a basis for such far-reaching conclusions. 

According to Dr. Błaszczyk, it is more plausible that the Piasts belonged to a local R1b lineage with the U512 mutation, which was present in Polish territories even before the arrival of the Slavs. This would point to a native, rather than Scottish, origin for the dynasty. 

Additional controversy surrounds the identities of the analyzed remains. In some cases, radiocarbon dating does not match the periods during which the historical figures they are attributed to—such as Władysław Herman or Bolesław III Wrymouth—are known to have lived. 

A full evaluation and interpretation of the findings will have to wait. A forthcoming article in the prestigious journal Nature Communications is expected to shed more light on the entire issue. 

Source: National Geographic Poland.