Discovering My Roots with the Ancestry DNA Kit + Results

There’s no doubt that my love for history and culture has influenced me to travel as often as I do. After hearing different stories of my family’s past, I decided to buy an Ancestry DNA kit online.

What comes in the Ancestry DNA Kit

The Ancestry DNA kit comes with two pieces: a tube for your saliva sample and a solution that stabilizes the DNA. When using the kit, it is instructed that you don’t eat, drink smoke or chew gum for at least 30 minutes before giving your sample. The whole process takes about 5 minutes total. Below are the steps for taking a saliva sample for the DNA Kit.

Fill the tube with saliva
Replace the funnel with the solution cap
Tighten the cap to release the stabilizing fluid
Shake the tube to mix liquids
Place contents the collection bag
Mail your DNA sample

Saliva Sample Solution — Saliva Sample & Solution

In order to get your test results, you MUST activate your Ancestry DNA kit online at ancestrydna.com/activate. On the activation page, it asks for the Ancestry DNA activation code located on the box or tube, an Ancestry DNA login (or the option to signup to their site), and a participation form.

Ancestry activation page — Ancestry DNA activation page

Once the saliva sample is sent, the results are shared in 6-8 weeks via email with a link to view results on ancestrydna.com/activate.

Ancestry DNA Kit Results

The average wait to get your results is 6-8 weeks and I received my results in about four weeks.

Again, in order to see the results, you should have registered your Ancestry DNA activation online. After logging into your account, select the DNA tab and go to Your DNA Results Summary. The DNA Results Summary page shows your Ethnicity Estimate, DNA Matches, and DNA Circles based on your family tree. Below are my results in detail:

80% African
14% Asian
5% European
1% Pacific Islander

Africa

Benin/Togo 23%
Ivory Coast/Ghana 19%
Mali 14%
Africa Southeastern Bantu 12%
Cameroon/Congo 11%
Senegal 1%

Asia

South Asia 11%
Central Asia 3%

Europe

Great Britain 3%
Finland/Northwest Russia <1%
Ireland <1%

Pacific Islander

Polynesia <1%

The big shocker to me honestly was European and Southeastern Bantu. I knew we had Irish heritage through my mother, but I didn’t think of Great Britain or Finland/Northwest Russia as options at all. South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Uganda are definitely places for me to think about when traveling in the future. I hope I can save up or find a flight deal in order to visit. If you’re interested in getting the Ancestry DNA kit for yourself, visit www.ancestry.com/dna to purchase your own kit.