DNA from a Neanderthal bone fragment in Crimea, dated to around 45,900-45,300 years ago, reveals genetic links between European and Siberian Neanderthals and suggests a migration corridor along 55°N.
Archaeologists have discovered a 7,000-year-old settlement in Dagestan, Russia, revealing insights into the spread of early farming communities and cultural connections in the Caucasus Mountains during the Eneolithic period.
A study combining archaeology and genetics, published in Science, reveals that the spread of Neolithic practices from Anatolia wasn't solely due to migration. Researchers found evidence of significant genetic continuity in West Anatolia over 7,000 years, despite cultural shifts like the adoption of agriculture and settled lifestyles. This suggests ideas and technologies spread without large-scale population movement in many areas. Some regions did experience migration and genetic mixing around 7,000 BCE, and later in the Aegean, but the overall picture is one of cultural diffusion occurring alongside, and often independently of, population shifts. The study highlights the importance of supporting research in the regions directly related to the questions being investigated and demonstrates a new methodology for integrating genomic and archaeological data.
