The Pax Mongolica: When the Mongols Brought Peace to Europe and Asia. The introduction of pastoralism created a huge shift in lifestyle in the region, even though the migrants had little genetic impact on the hunter-gatherers of Ancient Northeast Asian (ANA) and Ancient Northern Eurasian (ANE) ancestry who they met. The first major point of interest that the researchers cover is the pastoralist expansion into Mongolia around 3000 BC, which was introduced by the Afanasievo culture of the Altai mountains. ( Christina Warinner ) Dairy Pastoralism Arrives and Changes Everything Present-day home in the Mongolian countryside, known as a ger (Mongolian) or yurt (Russian). Finally, worldwide modern reference populations were added to the mix. They combined that information with the genomic data of 19 Bronze Age individuals from northern Mongolia and genetic datasets they accessed on ancient populations living in the nearby regions of Russia and Kazakhstan. To complete the monumental task, the researchers write that they analyzed new genome-wide data for 214 individuals from 85 Mongolian and 3 Russian sites in the Baikal region. It is one of the largest studies of ancient Eastern and Inner Asian genomes to date, and covers a period of 6,000 years – from 4600 BC to 1400 AD. The new study published in the journal Cell is the result of an international collaboration between researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, the National University of Mongolia, and other partner institutions in Mongolia, Russia, Korea, and the United States. 
This is why the new genetic study is so important.Ī Landmark Study of Ancient Eastern and Inner Asian Genomes
The last powerful empire of nomads in the area was the Mongol empire from 1206 – 1368 AD.Īlthough these nomadic empires had significant impacts on the geopolitics and demographics of Eurasia, there are still large knowledge gaps in their origins and the genetic relationships they formed with other people in the area. The Xiongnu was the first, with a strong influence in the region from 209 BC – 98 AD. Researchers have taken on the daunting task of reconstructing the 6,000 year genetic history of Mongolia - including the time of the rise and fall of the nomadic empires - with some surprising results.Ī release by the Max Planck Institute reports that there were several organized and “highly influential nomadic empires” that populated the eastern Eurasian Steppe between the late Bronze Age and the Middle Ages.
But a new study has cast light on how the Xiongnu and Mongol empires and other ancient Central Asian cultures formed and interacted with each other. The Xiongnu, the first nomadic empire in Asia, left no known written records to explain their origins, making this an intriguing ancient genetic mystery.
0 kommentar(er)
