Overview
J2a-Y17982 is a highland-rooted branch of the J2a-M67 lineage with deep ties to the early agro-pastoral cultures of eastern Anatolia, the Armenian highlands and the northern Zagros region. Its formation corresponds to the early Holocene consolidation of mountain-based agricultural systems, where stable terraced villages, obsidian trade routes and early metallurgical experimentation developed.
During the Bronze Age, Y17982-bearing populations were part of the demographic matrix of the Upper Tigris basin, the Lake Van region and adjacent upland corridors. These groups often inhabited fortified settlements, and their downstream diversification indicates localized expansions in upland valleys, basalt-plateau chains and high-altitude plains. Iron Age and classical communities retained derivative branches, suggesting long-term regional continuity in the highlands.
Geographic distribution
Armenia, eastern Turkey, northwest Iran, northern Iraq; minor presence in Georgia and northern Syria.
Ancient DNA
- Armenian Bronze Age individuals show upstream J2a-M67 variation consistent with Y17982 ancestry.
- Chalcolithic Tigris sites preserve J2a markers aligned with basal stages of the lineage.
- Eastern Anatolian Bronze Age contexts reveal upstream components tied to this clade.
- Iron Age highland populations exhibit derived Y17982-linked signals.
- Classical upland communities maintain continuity with localized subbranches.
Phylogeny & subclades
A highland-anchored J2a-M67 branch with microregional diversification across the Armenian plateau and Upper Tigris highlands.
- Y17982*
- Armenian plateau microbranches
- Highland Tigris derivatives
Notes & context
Y17982 provides insight into upland population stability and long-term cultural continuity across highland West Asia.
References & external links