Overview
J1-FGC8880 is a downstream lineage within the highland J1-Z1828 complex, emerging among early agro-pastoral societies distributed across the Armenian Highlands, eastern Anatolia and the northern Zagros. These communities practiced transhumant herding, developed early metallurgical traditions and established fortified highland settlements linked to the cultural sphere that later contributed to the rise of the Kura-Araxes phenomenon. During the Bronze and Iron Ages, populations carrying FGC8880 maintained demographic continuity within upland ecological zones characterized by rugged mountain terrain and stable agro-pastoral subsistence. The phylogenetic architecture of this lineage shows tight clustering of derivatives in geographically isolated valleys and high plateaus. This pattern reflects long-term settlement stability and limited integration with the lowland populations of northern Mesopotamia.