Recently, I had the opportunity to participate to Pavel Avetisyan's online lecture.

 Recently, I had the opportunity to participate to Pavel Avetisyan's online lecture. He is the director of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography. The subject was "From the first farmers to early polities "

It was very instructive and especially interesting for me in the sense that many new archeological theories are fully confirmed by DNA research. This is my genetic commentary, of course, because the talk was fully devoted to archeological material.

One of such theories is the concept of "core area" ( see the map ) from which early agriculture and animal husbandry, ( neolithic revolution ) started 12000-10000 years ago.

Although there is no ancient DNA from that area, the existing data speaks in favor of that area (near the historical Aldzenik, present Diyarbakir, Turkey).

Indeed the samples from Neolithic Levant (PPN B) are more northern shifted than those from Epipaleolithic Natufian culture that preceded it. The presence of more northern Y DNA such as H2 and T1a in Levant Neolithic do also point to the migration from North. 

In the neolithic Anatolia (Bonchuklu, Chatal Hoyuk, Barsin) we see more Eastern shift compared to preceding Paleolithic (Pinarbashi).

It is difficult to say something clear about the neolithic layers of Iran's Zagros (Ganj Dareh). Because there are still no samples from Paleolithic Zagros. But the two Mesolitic DNAs from the northeast of Iran (near Turkmenistan) and the subsequent neolithic DNA in Turkmenistan speaks in favor of migration from West of Iran. In addition, the G2b and G2a1 which were found in Early Neolithic of Iran, points to western connections, especially with G2a2 in Anatolia.

Other Neolithic y dna like E-M123, J2b, some J2A branches, have also spread from the nearby of "core area". Additionally all three branches of T1a and naturally the G2 and H2. By the way, this latter was found in Georgian Neolithic. This shows that neolithic settlements in Ararat Valley (Aknashen, Aratashen, Masis Blur) must also have ties to the south west of the historic Armenia.

Pavel Avetisyan ( Պավել Ավետիսյան ) also spoke about Eneolithic (copper age) and Bronze age. But I will mention them separately.

PS And some good news. It is very possible that new paleo DNA will be published from Armenia next year.