Overview
J1-FGC9190 is a downstream branch within the highland-oriented J1-Z1828 cluster, with origins among early agro-pastoral communities occupying the Armenian Highlands, eastern Anatolia and the northern Zagros. These groups developed herding strategies based on mountain pastures, practiced early metalworking and maintained durable inter-valley exchange networks. Their cultural environment contributed to the broader processes associated with the Kura-Araxes cultural expansion. Throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages, FGC9190-bearing populations remained concentrated within rugged mountain landscapes that promoted demographic stability. Downstream phylogenetic clustering indicates strong ties to isolated highland valleys and fortified upland settlements, reflecting continuity typical of long-lived highland pastoral societies. Several downstream segments persisted well into the medieval period, suggesting limited exogamy and strong local identity.