Geneticists Use DNA to Shed Light on the Origin of Indians
Researchers have discovered a Bronze Age civilization along the Indus River, dating back 5,000 to 3,500 years, in present-day India and Pakistan. This discovery, along with DNA analysis from ancient remains, sheds new light on the origins of Indians. This society built large fortified cities and crafted remarkable artifacts, reshaping our view of early history in the region.
New DNA study on ancient bones
To understand India’s early populations, scientists in India are now analyzing DNA from over 300 ancient human bones. These remains, discovered during excavations from the 1920s to the 1950s at well-known Indus Valley sites like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, may help reveal details about ancient populations, their movements, and their lifestyles.
The Anthropological Survey of India (ASI) is leading this DNA study in collaboration with the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences. By comparing ancient DNA with that of modern populations, scientists aim to learn about early Indian diets, environments, and even common diseases.
Challenges in DNA extraction
In warm, tropical climates like India’s, DNA degrades faster, and the past handling of samples may have further damaged them. Despite this, ASI Director BV Sharma remains optimistic. “But with today’s advanced technology, we might be able to get something more out of it,” he explains, adding that even a 10% recovery rate of ancient DNA could offer useful insights.
Filling gaps in South Asian genetic research
South Asia, one of the world’s most genetically diverse regions, is underrepresented in genetic research. Most existing knowledge about India’s ancestry comes from studying DNA in living populations.
Experts like Partha Majumder, founder of India’s National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, see this project as an opportunity to validate modern genetic data with ancient samples, which could enrich our understanding of population ancestry, diet, and disease evolution in South Asia.
For instance, examining ancient DNA could help trace the origins of certain rare genetic diseases, which have become more common in South Asia due to cultural practices like endogamy, or marrying within clans.
Ancient DNA and the Aryan migration debate
The study’s findings may impact ongoing debates about the origins of the Indian people. Some of the bones date back around 3,800 to 3,500 years, a time when historians believe that the Yamnaya herders, once referred to as Aryans, might have migrated to India from the Eurasian Steppe.
Experts suggest that these early arrivals likely influenced the region’s language, including the classical language Sanskrit. However, this theory is controversial in India, especially among Hindu nationalist groups who view the idea of external influence as a legacy of colonial narratives about Aryan “conquerors.”
While most scholars support the view that Yamnaya groups arrived in small waves rather than as large conquerors, some nationalist groups argue instead that Aryans were indigenous to India, later spreading their culture outward.
The DNA study could either challenge or support these perspectives, potentially adding new dimensions to the debate on India’s ancient origins.
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