The genetic history of the Southern Caucasus from the Bronze Age to the Early Middle Ages: 5,000 years of genetic continuity despite high mobility

AI interpretationAI-generated

Ancient DNA reveals 5,000 years of genetic continuity in the Southern Caucasus despite high mobility.

This study analyzed genome-wide data from 230 individuals in modern Georgia and Armenia, spanning the Bronze Age to the Early Middle Ages. The local gene pool persisted, absorbing Anatolian and Steppe ancestry during the Middle-Late Bronze Age. Later, population growth and genetic diversity increased, with many ancestry outliers in urban centers. Artificial skull deformation arrived with nomadic groups but was adopted locally.

• A persistent local gene pool absorbed Anatolian and Steppe ancestry during the Middle-Late Bronze Age.
• Population growth and genetic diversity increased in later periods, with high rates of ancestry outliers in eastern Georgian urban centers.
• Among 20 medieval individuals with deformed skulls, 15 were local and 5 had Steppe ancestry, showing the practice was adopted locally.

Sample interpretation

The dataset includes 226 samples, with 127 resolved Y-chromosomes. Major Y haplogroups include I-SK1270 (7), R-FGC14590 (5), I-V4854 (5), and J-Y3612 (4). Mitochondrial DNA is diverse, with H (5), H13a1a2 (5), HV1a1 (5), and others. Cultures span the Bronze Age to Early Middle Ages, such as ARM_Hellenistic (16), Samtavro_EMA (15), and Tserovani_LBA (10).

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry enthusiasts, this study shows that the Southern Caucasus maintained genetic continuity for millennia despite migrations. It highlights how cultural practices like skull deformation can spread without large-scale genetic replacement, and provides a rich dataset for exploring regional genetic history.