Elamites

Elamites

The paper by Amjadi et al. (2025) published ancient DNA from the Chalcolithic period of the South Zagros, dated to around 4600 BCE. The sample comes from the Gol Afshan Tepe site, associated with the Bakun cultural period, which immediately precedes the so-called Lapui period (4100–3500 BCE), usually linked to Proto-Elamite developments. Assuming that there was no dramatic population change between the Bakun and Lapui periods, we may conjecture that the Proto-Elamite language originated among a population with a large amount of Zagros/Iran Neolithic ancestry.

Consistent with its autosomal profile, the sample carried Y-DNA haplogroup R2. This lineage was common among ancient Zagros farmers and today is found mainly in South Asia and in some parts of West Asia—for example, among Armenians in Sasun (see the second map).

The Elamite civilization flourished in the southwestern Iranian plateau. The Elamite language was widely used in the Achaemenid Empire as an administrative language. Persians referred to the Elamite region as Hujiya > Khuzi, from which the name of the modern Khuzestan province is derived. Elamite may have still been spoken in the medieval period, as Arab sources report the presence of an incomprehensible Khuzi language in that region, distinct from Persian. The Armenian word khuzhan, meaning hooligan or wild person, is derived from the name of that region.

If further research confirms a connection between the Elamite language and Zagros/Iran Neolithic populations, several implications may follow:

• Sumerian: Since Sumerian appears unrelated to Elamite, it may instead be associated with another population known as the Central Iranian farmers rather than with Zagros farmers.

• Northern Iran: Northern Iran seems to have had a different genetic history. A contemporary Chalcolithic DNA sample from the Urmia Basin (Hajji Firuz Chl) is strongly shifted westward and plots close to Central Iranian farmers. Their migration eastward may have diluted Zagros Neolithic ancestry in northern Iran, where other ethnic groups are known to have lived during the Bronze Age. The most prominent among them were the Kassites. The Kassite language has no known connection with Elamite, although a possible link between Kassite and Hurrian has been proposed.

• Elamite–Dravidian hypothesis: A theory connecting Elamite with Dravidian languages of South Asia has been proposed, though it is not widely accepted. If Elamite is indeed linked to Zagros/Iran Neolithic populations, this could provide additional support for the hypothesis. However, Dravidian-speaking populations also carry a substantial component of South Asian-specific ancestry related to Andamanese hunter-gatherers.

• Administrative languages and ethnicity: The widespread use of Elamite in the administration of the multiethnic Achaemenid Empire may offer insight into the status of the Urartian language in the kingdom of Biainili. We now know that Biainili was not solely an Urartian state; other ethnic groups, most prominently Armenians, were also part of the kingdom. Elamite inscriptions from the Achaemenid period have been discovered in Armavir, Armenia. This again illustrates that the presence of written texts in a particular language in a given region does not necessarily imply a widespread presence of its speakers there.

The western Iranians.

 The western Iranians.

Three major ancient western Iranian groups were the Persians, Medes and Parthians. Until now we didn't have ancient DNA samples that could be securely linked to this groups. Iron Age samples from south of Urmia could be related partly to Medes but given their genetic profile and dating such linking was remaining speculative.

Amjadi et al. 2025 published first historic western Iranian ancient DNA samples that were either Parthians, either eastern Medes. The location (Marsin Chai, Vestermin) of those samples was in the border of Medes and Parthian satrapies so there is some incertitude how they were identified in their lifetime. (See the map).

Liarsangbon samples could be related to Medes given their more western location. It's remarkable that some of them had also slightly more western genetic profile. J1-620(xP58)>FGC6069 was found in Liarsangbon. Without much doubt of local origin. Another undefined J2a was also uncovered from that site in Parthian empire period.

Genome wide Achaemenid period samples from Marsin Chai were grosso modo looking similar to Bronze Age samples from the same region (TepeHissar, Shahtepe) nevertheless they are not identical.

Looking closer on the PCA it's clear that they are slightly more "northern" shifted. And in some cases slightly "western" shifted. The slight western shift could be of local origin but could be also from Sintashta/Andronovo cultures in Central Asia that had substantial Anatolian Farmer related ancestry.

Despite this no R1a was found from those ancient Iranian remains, only J2b2a2. This can mean that R1a was low but also can be due to sampling issue. Given that many samples were relatives and had the same Y DNA.

Overall those ancient Parthians/Medes have quite high Zagros/Iran Neolithic ancestry with low EHG/ANE. Also they have some South Asian related Onge/Andaman island Hunter Gatherer ancestry.

They are different from Urmia basin Iron Age samples which are more western and who plot close to antique era samples from Armenia. This difference can be due to geography but can be also related to different ethnic background. Ancient Medes samples from core Media are needed to understand this difference.

Returning to the R1a issue it must be noted that the R1a appear both in Armenia and Georgia at Achaemenid period. Even more interesting samples from Meskhetia region in Georgia yielded surprising results. Out of seven Y DNA from Sassanian period Meskhetia here were 2 cases of R1a and 2 cases of Q2 which almost certainly was introduced there by western Iranians. Another J1-P58>Z1853 from Meskhetia was also of non local origin. All this show that western Iranians must have more diverse Y DNA pool and more sampling is needed to understand their diversity.

A PCA with Ancient and Modern Samples from Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iraqi Kurdistan

A PCA with Ancient and Modern Samples from Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iraqi Kurdistan

The Caucasian Albanian sample from Late Antiquity shows a clear shift toward Iranian populations. It does not fall along the Udi–Armenia LIA–Lezgin cline.

Ancient Iranian groups such as the Medes and Parthians would likely plot slightly to the left and somewhat below Tepe Hissar. They would probably fall near the position of Shah Tepe BA, or slightly to the left and bottom of it.

It is not yet entirely clear, but modern Iranians appear to have a slight western or northern shift compared with ancient populations.

Among modern groups, Kurds are the most western. Persians from Khorasan and Tats show the highest steppe ancestry (a shift toward the left), while the Mazandarani display the highest Zagros Neolithic ancestry.

The Shamakhi Armenian singleton appears to shift more toward the Armenia_LIA / Tat / Lezgin cluster than toward any other Iranian population.

The Dinkha Tepe BA–IA 2 sample, associated with the Grey Ware horizon in the late Middle Bronze Age, could represent an early wave of Indo-Iranian populations.

P.S. I updated the PCA and added the Shah Tepe BA sample.