Scientists studying ancient DNA from one of Xinjiang’s oldest burial sites have found evidence of a previously unknown population with genetic roots stretching from the Yellow River region to the Eurasian steppe.
The findings come from the Tianshanbeilu cemetery in the Hami oasis of eastern Xinjiang, where more than 700 Bronze Age tombs have been excavated. The site is located about 500 kilometres east of Urumqi and dates back roughly 3,600 years, during China’s Shang dynasty.
Researchers had previously believed the cemetery was largely associated with Eurasian nomadic groups moving eastward from the steppe. Ancient DNA analysis, however, points to a more complex picture of population movement and interaction.
The study found that about half of the genetic ancestry of individuals from the Tianshanbeilu population can be linked to ancient communities associated with Yellow River farmers, while the remainder was connected to populations from the Eurasian steppe.
The results suggest that people in the eastern Tianshan were part of long-distance networks connecting communities across Central and East Asia. These movements coincided with the spread of agricultural crops, livestock, pottery and metalworking technologies between eastern and western regions.
Researchers say the findings provide new evidence that the eastern Tianshan was an important meeting point between different populations during the Bronze Age, rather than simply a corridor through which nomadic groups moved.
The broader study of ancient genomes from Xinjiang also indicates repeated interaction between local populations, East Asian millet farmers and western steppe groups. These exchanges contributed to the formation of later populations in the region.
The research adds to growing archaeological and genetic evidence showing that population movement across what is now Xinjiang was complex and occurred over many centuries, helping shape the region’s diverse genetic and cultural history.
