Population dynamics in Iron Age Xinjiang inferred from ancient genomes of the Zhagunluke site

Abstract

The Iron Age Zhagunluke culture in southern Xinjiang was characterized by cultural connections with surrounding regions and the coexistence of agriculture and livestock farming, which was suggested to represent the ancient Qiemo kingdom. However, the detailed population history of the ancient Qiemo kingdom and whether cultural exchanges were accompanied by population migration remain unclear. In this study, we report ancient genomes of two individuals from the Zhagunluke No.1 cemetery. Combined with published ancient genomic data, we observed an east-west admixture pattern in Zhagunluke people with varying proportions of diverse ancestries, corresponding to the diverse cultural elements in the Zhagunluke site. Moreover, we identified a genetic outlier with a dominant ancestry related to millet farmers of the Yellow River or West Liao River Basin, indicating the presence of immigrants from northern China to southern Xinjiang. Our findings suggest that population interactions significantly shaped the genetic profile of the Zhagunluke population.