An international team of researchers from Kazakhstan, South Korea, Germany, and the USA has conducted a paleogenetic study of ancient human remains from East Kazakhstan. The project was led by Maksat Zhabagin from the National Center for Biotechnology of Kazakhstan.

The team sequenced 21 ancient genomes, including the two oldest human remains ever found in Kazakhstan, dating back approximately 7,000 years (early Neolithic period).

Findings revealed that early Neolithic hunter-gatherers in East Kazakhstan carried mixed ancestry from Ancient North Eurasian and East Asian (Paleosiberian) genetic lines. This ancient genetic layer significantly contributed to the populations of the Bronze Age and is still detectable in the gene pool of modern Central Asian peoples.

The study builds upon the legacy of academic anthropologist Orazak Ismagulov, providing genetic evidence of the region’s population continuity spanning several millennia.

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