Author: DNA Origins

For nearly 8,000 years, people lived across the mountains and valleys of the South Caucasus while cultures changed, kingdoms rose, and empires disappeared. Yet ancient DNA is revealing a remarkable layer of continuity beneath all those transformations. A 2017 study comparing 52 ancient mitochondrial genomes from Armenia and Artsakh spanning roughly 7,800 years with 206 modern Armenian mitochondrial genomes found the strongest fit for a model of maternal genetic continuity. But the story does not end with continuity. A genome-wide study of 173 Armenians found that Armenian genetic diversity reflects several prehistoric mixtures, particularly during the Bronze Age, while a…