Ancient Genomes Reveal Population Interaction at China’s North–South Boundary

Abstract

The boundary zone between northern and southern China has long served as a key arena of cultural interaction, yet the genetic history of populations in this region remains poorly characterized. Here we present genome-wide ancient DNA data from three individuals recovered at the Wenmiao site in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, situated at the intersection of Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu. To our knowledge, these represent the first genomic data from this pivotal region. Despite the region’s cultural diversity, the Wenmiao individuals show striking genetic similarity to contemporaneous and earlier populations from Shandong on the eastern coast of China, without additional signals of admixture from southern groups as well as agricultural populations from Central Plain. This genetic homogeneity contrasts with the archaeological evidence of cultural convergence, suggesting that the spread of material culture into Xuzhou did not necessarily involve substantial movement or integration of genetically distinct populations. Our findings highlight the importance of distinguishing cultural from genetic processes in reconstructing the history of interaction zones in China.