Ancient DNA indicates 3,000 years of genetic continuity in the Northern Iranian Plateau, from the Copper Age to the Sassanid Empire

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Ancient DNA reveals 3,000 years of genetic continuity in northern Iran, from Copper Age to Sassanid Empire.

This study analyzed 50 ancient samples from nine Iranian sites, spanning 4700 BCE to 1300 CE, including 23 mitogenomes and 13 nuclear genomes. A key Early Chalcolithic sample showed mostly Early Neolithic Iranian ancestry, indicating long-term continuity in the Zagros region with some western influence. Historical samples from the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid periods were genetically intermediate on an east-west cline across the Persian Plateau, with strong ties to Bronze Age populations in South-Central Asia. Uniparental lineages suggest population stability from prehistory to modern times.

• An Early Chalcolithic sample predating other Iranian Chalcolithic genomes shows primarily Early Neolithic Iranian ancestry, reflecting long-term cultural and biological continuity in the Zagros area.
• Historical samples from northern Iran (Achaemenid to Sassanid periods) are genetic intermediates on an east-west cline across the Persian Plateau, with strong connections to local and South-Central Asian Bronze Age populations.
• Diachronic analyses of uniparental lineages highlight population stability on the Iranian Plateau from prehistoric to modern times.

Sample interpretation

The study reports 23 mitogenomes and 13 nuclear genomes from 50 samples across nine sites. Y-chromosome haplogroups are resolved for 9 males, mostly J subclades (J-FGC6077, J-FGC6031, J-Y28253, etc.) and one R-SK522. Mitochondrial haplogroups include J1b6a, J1d, H13a2b3, HV, HV2a1, and U4c1. Cultural periods represented: Parthian (7), Achaemenid/Seleucid (6), End Parthian/Middle Sassanid (5), Medieval (3), Bakun (1), Late Bronze Age (1). Site sample counts: 2100BP (7), IRN69 (6), IRN77 (5), IRN85 (3), IRN80 (1), IRN24 (1).

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry enthusiasts, this study confirms that northern Iran has been a stable genetic crossroads for millennia, with continuous local ancestry since the Neolithic and enduring links to South-Central Asia. It highlights the Persian Plateau as a key region for understanding ancient Eurasian population dynamics.