Overview
J2a-PH1602 represents a deep-rooted highland subclade associated with early agro-pastoral populations of the Iranian Plateau, eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus. Its emergence parallels the establishment of highland agricultural niches distinct from lowland Levantine farming systems, including early barley and rye cultivation and advanced caprine herding strategies. Throughout the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages, PH1602-bearing lineages appear to have been integrated into metallurgical societies and proto-urban polities of the Zagros, Caucasus and Lake Van regions. Archaeogenetic evidence suggests that this clade was involved in the demographic expansions associated with the Kura–Araxes cultural horizon, which facilitated broad cultural transmission across the southern Caucasus, eastern Anatolia, northern Mesopotamia and northwest Iran.
Geographic distribution
Today, J2a-PH1602 is most common in western and northwestern Iran (Kurdish, Luri, Mazandaran and Azeri populations), Armenia, eastern Turkey, Georgia and parts of Dagestan. Additional presence in northern Iraq and the northern Levant reflects ancient highland–lowland connectivity. Lower frequency signals in Afghanistan, Central Asia and the eastern Mediterranean appear to be linked to Bronze Age and Iron Age mobility.
Ancient DNA
- Chalcolithic Iranian Plateau individuals show PH1602-related lineages tied to early highland agricultural societies.
- Bronze Age Kura–Araxes individuals in Armenia, Georgia and eastern Anatolia show strong clustering with PH1602.
- Late Neolithic and Bronze Age samples from northern Mesopotamia reveal admixture patterns consistent with early PH1602 expansions.
- Highland burials near Lake Van and the Zagros foothills include PH1602-like signatures tied to metallurgical centers.
- Iron Age Armenian and Urartian contexts show continuity with PH1602 substructure.
Phylogeny & subclades
PH1602 is nested within the Z6065 cluster and contains multiple downstream branches bridging Iran, Armenia, Georgia and northern Mesopotamia. The phylogeny suggests an early highland origin with subsequent diffusion into neighboring regions through transhumant pastoralism, metallurgy-linked mobility and early state formation. Several microclades exhibit strong regional specificity, highlighting long-term continuity.
- PH1602* (rare basal)
- PH2923 cluster (Iran–Caucasus)
- Y13194 sub-branches in Armenia and eastern Anatolia
- Small Mediterranean microclades
Notes & context
J2a-PH1602 is critical for modeling early highland population movements during the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages. Its strong association with the Kura–Araxes horizon makes it a genetic marker for one of the most influential cultural complexes of early West Asian prehistory.
References & external links