The Indian government has launched a groundbreaking study to reconstruct the population history of South Asia using ancient and modern genomics, a move aimed at resolving long-standing debates about the origins of Indian communities. Conducted by the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) under the Ministry of Culture, the project will analyze 300 ancient skeletal remains from archaeological sites in India and Pakistan. This initiative seeks to provide conclusive evidence on the movement and interactions of ancient populations in the region.
Titled “Reconstruction of the population history of South Asia using ancient and modern genomics,” the study includes skeletal remains from prominent Indus Valley Civilisation sites such as Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Burzahom, and Lothal. These remains, excavated between 1922 and 1958 by the Archaeological Survey of India, are now in the custodianship of AnSI. The study, executed in collaboration with the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, will use advanced DNA analysis to uncover details about ancient diets, migration patterns, environmental adaptation, and the gene pool of early Indian communities.
The research aims to shed light on contentious theories surrounding the origins of Indian populations, particularly the Aryan migration theory. This theory, proposed by Western scholars in the 19th century, suggests that fair-skinned, agrarian people migrated from Central Asia to India after the Indus Valley period and significantly shaped the region’s civilization. However, many modern Indian archaeologists argue that the Aryans were indigenous to India, migrating from the Saraswati River region when it dried up, eventually settling in the Indus Valley.
The findings from recent excavations, such as those at the 4,000-year-old archaeological site in Sinauli, Uttar Pradesh, support the idea of an indigenous warrior class, with discoveries of weapons, burials, and chariots. This evidence has led to changes in NCERT textbooks, emphasizing a 5,000-year continuity of Indian civilization and questioning the Aryan migration theory.
Officials involved in the genomics study indicate that the research aims to provide definitive conclusions on ancient population movements in India. With the DNA analysis potentially concluding by December 2025, initial findings suggest a continuity in the genetic makeup of ancient and modern populations in India, without significant genetic changes.
Niraj Rai, the head of the Ancient DNA Lab at the Birbal Sahni Institute, emphasized the significance of comparing ancient DNA with modern samples to unravel India’s complex migration history. He noted that while extracting DNA from ancient remains is challenging, the initial samples reveal genetic continuity, which could challenge prevailing theories about external migrations shaping Indian civilization.
This study represents a critical step toward understanding India’s ancient history, offering a scientific basis for resolving long-standing debates about the region’s population origins.
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