Overview
J1-FGC8923 is a downstream lineage of the highland J1-Z1828 complex associated with long-term upland continuity across the Armenian Highlands, eastern Anatolia and the northern Zagros. Its early formation coincides with the establishment of early agro-pastoral settlements that relied on transhumant herding and early metallurgy. These highland populations formed part of the cultural matrix underlying the emergence of the Kura-Araxes phenomenon and other regional upland systems. By the Bronze and Iron Ages, FGC8923-bearing communities occupied mountain fortresses, upland valleys and plateau environments that encouraged demographic stability and long-term genetic continuity. The lineage's downstream phylogenetic structure is characterized by microbranching linked to isolated highland communities and clan-based pastoral populations.