Ancient Genomes from the Transtigris Bronze and Iron Age
The development of complex urban societies in Mesopotamia fundamentally shaped human history, yet the genetic dynamics underlying this process remain poorly understood. We generated ancient DNA from 17 individuals spanning the Bronze and Iron Ages at Bakr Awa, one of northeastern Iraq's largest ancient settlements located at the border between Mesopotamia and Iran. Genome-wide analyses reveal northern Near Eastern ancestry drove a major genetic shift between the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and Bronze Age, with local, Levantine, Zagros, and Caucasus/Yamnaya-related ancestries subsequently shaping Bronze Age population structure. Integration of ancient DNA with stable-isotope analysis captures multigenerational dynamics, identifying the Zagros mountains as the likely recent origin of Caucasus/Yamnaya-related ancestry – complementing archaeological and textual reconstructions of a Hurrian ethnolinguistic presence at Bakr Awa. Following Late Bronze Age abandonment, Iron Age reoccupation involved genetic consolidation rather than population replacement, demonstrating that cultural transitions need not entail large-scale ancestry transformations.
The development of complex urban societies in Mesopotamia fundamentally shaped human history, yet the genetic dynamics underlying this process remain poorly understood. We generated ancient DNA from 17 individuals spanning the Bronze and Iron Ages at Bakr Awa, one of northeastern Iraq's largest ancient settlements located at the border between Mesopotamia and Iran. Genome-wide analyses reveal northern Near Eastern ancestry drove a major genetic shift between the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and Bronze Age, with local, Levantine, Zagros, and Caucasus/Yamnaya-related ancestries subsequently shaping Bronze Age population structure. Integration of ancient DNA with stable-isotope analysis captures multigenerational dynamics, identifying the Zagros mountains as the likely recent origin of Caucasus/Yamnaya-related ancestry – complementing archaeological and textual reconstructions of a Hurrian ethnolinguistic presence at Bakr Awa. Following Late Bronze Age abandonment, Iron Age reoccupation involved genetic consolidation rather than population replacement, demonstrating that cultural transitions need not entail large-scale ancestry transformations.
Walla Walla University