Overview
J2a-Y18588 is a downstream branch within the J2a-M67 highland complex and is closely associated with the demographic history of the Armenian plateau, eastern Anatolia and the Upper Zagros interface. Its earliest diversification coincides with the development of upland agricultural villages in the early Holocene, where stable cereal farming, orchard cultivation and early metalworking traditions emerged. Archaeological parallels include fortified hilltop sites, obsidian distribution networks and early terrace agriculture across the Lake Van and Upper Euphrates basins. By the Bronze Age, populations carrying Y18588 were active in highland socio-political systems characterized by metallurgical centers, fortified citadels and interregional mountain trade corridors. The lineage's microstructure indicates localized expansions within enclosed valleys and plateau-edge basins. Iron Age and classical populations across the Armenian highlands and northern Mesopotamia show paternal signatures consistent with Y18588-derived microbranches, highlighting long-term continuity of highland ancestry.