Three new Scientific research ancient DNAwith the participation of many Greek scientists and led by the Greek diaspora, present the most complete paleogenetic history to date of the so-called Southern Arc, a region considered the “cradle of Western civilization” and including Greece, stretching from southeastern Europe. and from the Black Sea to Anatolia (modern Turkey), the Pontic Steppe, the Middle East (Levant) and Western Asia.

Until recently, much of South Arch’s ancient history was based on archaeological finds and historical descriptions. Now, advances in “reading” (sequencing) ancient genetic material provide an important new source of information about the past. The new research is considered a milestone in archaeogenetic research, although interpretation of the results is likely to be a challenge for further study in the future.

Detailed genetic history of the Southern Bow.

The study, published in the journal Science, analyzed the ancient genomes of 777 people from the wider area over the past 11,000 years (among them several people from the wider Aegean region during the Mycenaean era) and shows how complex the population history is. from early agricultural societies to the post-medieval years.

The three studies, led by Greek geneticist Joseph Lazaridis of Harvard Medical School, an associate of the eminent genetics professor David Reich, are “built” by a detailed genetic history of the South Arch from the Neolithic period (c. 10,000 BC) to the Ottoman period (c. 1700). AD), shedding light on complex migrations and interactions between populations, concluding that a rather inaccurate picture of early Indo-European civilizations has been given so far.

First study

The study “Genetic history of the Southern Arc: a bridge between Western Asia and Europe” is devoted to the period up to 5000-1000 BC. and, among other things, it reveals the great genetic exchanges between the Eurasian Steppe (mostly pastoral Pit peoples of the Black Sea Steppe of the third millennium BC) and the Southern Arc and sheds more light on the origins of the Indo-European language. According to researchers, the pit initiated a chain of migrations that connected Europe with the East. In fact, some Balkan peoples 4500-5000 years ago owe almost all of their genes to these movements.

The pit is believed to have arrived in Greece between 1500-1000 BC. Natives of the steppes soon mixed with the local population, resulting in the emergence of various languages ​​(Greek, Albanian, Armenian, etc.). The conclusion of the researchers is that all the ancient speakers of the Indo-European languages ​​also trace their origins to the Yamnaya, whose expansion into the Southern Arc left traces in the DNA of the inhabitants of the region during the Bronze Age.

Second study

The study, titled A Genetic Survey of the Ancient and Medieval History of Southern Europe and Western Asia, focuses on the later history of the Southern Arch, shedding more light on the demographics and geographic origins of the Mycenaeans, Romans, and other peoples.

It is believed that some of the Mycenaeans – but not all – descended from immigrants from the steppes. The researchers note that if the Mycenaeans in the blood had a partial origin from the steppes (in a ratio of approximately 1:10), then this was not the case with the Minoans of Crete, who, however, had a genetic influence from the east. However, in both cases, extensive genetic diversity in human ancestors associated with the two cultures is reported.

The study estimated that the genetic influence of the steppes on the Aegean population was relatively small. The proportion of the genetic ancestry of the Mycenaeans from Pit-type populations has been estimated to be about one third (1/3) of the level found in the Balkans to the north, half (1/2) of the genetic proportion of the steppe peoples. Armenia in the east and one-fifth (1/5) to one-eighth (1/8) of the genetic contribution of the steppes in Central/Northern Europe.

In addition, the new study provides strong evidence that Athens and Attica as a whole received fewer immigrants from the north, which seems to support ancient Athenian claims. In addition, the genesis of the Greek language is connected, on the one hand, with other Indo-European languages ​​​​by a common origin from the steppes, on the other hand, with the peoples of the Aegean who preceded the speakers of the proto-Greek language.

Third study

The third study, entitled “Ancient DNA from Mesopotamia shows distinct Neolithic migrations into Anatolia,” analyzes the first ancient genetic material (pre-pottery) from Neolithic Mesopotamia, which is considered the epicenter of the Neolithic agricultural “revolution”. The finds show two distinct waves of migration from the center of the Fertile Crescent to western and southeastern Europe.

Greek researchers Anagnostis Angelarakis, Andreas Bertsatos, Maria-Eleni Hovalopoulou, Stella Chrysulaki, Panagiotis Karkanas, Ioannis Lyricis, Nikos Papadimitriou, Nikos Papakonstantinou, Anastasia Papatanasiou, Athanasios Sideris and Sevasti Triantafyllou also participated in the research.

^{According to APE – MEB}