It was previously believed that the Levantine DNA of the Phoenicians spread as far as their famous alphabet, which influenced quite a few languages. DNA analysis of individuals buried in what used to be Phoenician outposts in southern Europe showed Greek and Sicilian DNA instead of Middle Eastern DNA. While the founders of these outposts were probably Phoenician, a constant flow of Sicilians and Greeks created a different DNA profile. The DNA of the individuals studied has already degraded for thousands of years. Before 600 B.C., Punic people cremated their dead, so genetic information from before then has been lost to time.