Ancient DNA Reveals Comprehensive Genomic History of the “Cradle of Civilization”



Iosif Lazaridis, David Reich, and colleagues give a thorough genetic history of the so-called "Southern Arc," an area that spans southern Europe and Western Asia and has long been regarded as the "cradle of Western civilisation."

A complex population history from the earliest farming civilizations through post-Medieval times is shown in the investigation, which looked at newly sequenced ancient DNA from more than 700 people in the region. Most of the stories of the people and populations of the Southern Arc's ancient past have, up until very recently, been told through archaeological findings and the thousands of years' worth of local historical chronicles and manuscripts. However, advancements in the sequencing of ancient DNA have given rise to a brand-new reservoir of historical data.

Lazaridis et al. construct a thorough genetic history of the Southern Arc from the Neolithic (about 10,000 BCE) to the Ottoman period (around 1700 CE) using ancient DNA from the remains of 777 individuals. The findings give a detailed account of the intricate population interactions and migrations that have altered the area over thousands of years. According to the study, the former emphasis on ancient literature and art as well as modern demographic history has given an erroneous picture of early Indo-European cultures.

Bronze Age Karashamb Necropolis' main vista 26 people from this site's Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages are included in the study. Credit: Varduhi and Pavel Avetsiyan

The new dataset is introduced in the first study, "The genetic history of the Southern Arc: a bridge between West Asia and Europe." Additionally, it provides a study that concentrates on the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages (roughly 5000 to 1000 BCE). Large genetic exchanges between the Eurasian Steppe and the Southern Arc were found by this investigation, which also sheds fresh light on how the Yamnaya steppe pastoralists developed and the origins of the Indo-European language.

First ancient DNA from Pre-Pottery Neolithic Mesopotamia from the epicenter of the region's Neolithic Revolution is presented in the second study, "Ancient DNA from Mesopotamia reveals different Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic migrations into Anatolia." According to the research, there were two major waves of migration from the Fertile Crescent heartland during the Neolithic Pre-Pottery and Pottery eras of Anatolia.

In the third study, "A genetic inquiry into the ancient and medieval history of Southern Europe and West Asia," ancient DNA analysis from the time of human habitation in the Southern Arc is the main topic of discussion. Additionally, it clarifies the obscure geographic and demographic roots of peoples like the Romans, Urartians, and Myceneans.

According to Benjamin Arbuckle and Zoe Schwandt in a related Perspective, "The studies by Lazaridis et al. represent an important milestone for ancient genomic research, providing a rich dataset and diverse observations that will drive the next iteration of interpretations of the human history of West Eurasia." Arbuckle and Schwandt point out the difficulties and restrictions of the interpretations, contending that many of the narratives examined across the three studies reflect a Eurocentric worldview despite the authors' acknowledgement that Lazaridis et al. have created a "astonishing dataset, unimaginable in its scale just a decade ago."

See Vast Genetic Study Reveals Insights Into Migration Patterns and Language Development for additional information on this study.

By AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS) 

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