News Humans

DNA indicates how ancient migrations shaped South Asian languages and farming

An analysis of more than 500 skeletons reveals the genetic and cultural ancestry of the region

human skeletons

Ancient DNA from human skeletons unearthed in and around northern South Asia has yielded clues to a mix of migrations, including of mobile herders, that sculpted the region’s ancestry and possibly its languages starting 4,000 years ago or more.

ROBERTO MICHELI AND MASSIMO VIDALE/ISMEO - ITALIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSION IN PAKISTAN

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

A new DNA study of unprecedented size has unveiled ancient human movements that shaped the genetic makeup of present-day South Asians in complex ways.