Overview
J2a-Y18844 is a downstream lineage within the J2a-M67 complex and is closely tied to upland agricultural traditions in eastern Anatolia, the Armenian plateau and the Upper Zagros interface. Its early formation corresponds to the development of highland farming systems in the early Holocene, characterized by terraced cultivation, intensive orchard management and the establishment of long lived agro pastoral settlements. Archaeological connections include obsidian distribution hubs, fortified upland villages and early metallurgical activity centered around the Lake Van and Upper Tigris basins. During the Bronze Age, Y18844 bearing groups appear to have been incorporated into highland political and economic structures characterized by fortified citadels, regional metallurgy and mountain corridor exchange networks. The microstructure of the clade indicates founder effects in isolated valleys and plateau basin communities. Iron Age and classical genetic patterns from the Armenian highlands and northern Mesopotamia retain signatures compatible with Y18844 derivatives, suggesting deep continuity in the region.