Slab Grave expansion disrupted long co-existence of distinct Bronze Age herders in central Mongolia

AI interpretationAI-generated

Ancient DNA reveals two herder groups coexisted in Bronze Age Mongolia before slab grave expansion replaced them.

This study analyzed 30 ancient individuals from central Mongolia to understand how different pastoralist cultures interacted. During the Late Bronze Age, two distinct genetic clusters lived side by side: one linked to Deer Stone-Khirigsuur Complex (DSKC) burials and another to figure-shaped burials. Despite sharing the same region, they mixed very little, keeping their genetic and cultural identities separate. Then, in the Early Iron Age, a new population tied to slab grave burials expanded and replaced both groups. The DSKC people's minor western Eurasian ancestry traces back to Afanasievo and Khemtseg (Chemurchek) herders.

• Two genetically distinct Late Bronze Age herder groups (DSKC and figure-shaped) coexisted in central Mongolia with limited mixing.
• Slab Grave expansion during the Early Iron Age replaced both earlier groups, disrupting their long co-existence.
• DSKC populations carry minor western Eurasian ancestry from Eneolithic/Early Bronze Age Afanasievo and Khemtseg (Chemurchek) groups.

Sample interpretation

The 30 ancient individuals come from 10 sites, with MKT016 alone contributing 15 samples. Y-chromosome haplogroups were resolved for 17 males, dominated by Q lineages (e.g., Q-ZS3313, Q-FT8042, Q-L330) plus one R-M343 and one C-FT240216. Mitochondrial DNA includes C4a1a, U5a2d1, T2c1a, and several D lineages. Culturally, 16 individuals are DSKC, 8 are Slab Grave, 3 are figure-shaped, and 3 are later period (Mongol, Xiongnu, Uyghur). This sampling captures the key transitional groups.

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry enthusiasts, this shows that ancient Mongolia was not a simple melting pot. Distinct herder communities lived side by side for generations without mixing, until a new burial tradition spread and replaced them. It highlights how genetic and cultural boundaries can persist even in the same region.