The initial location of Dayenu according Bryce.

 The initial location of Dayenu according Bryce. It was definitely more southern in 12th century BC Assyrian records. It could be also slightly more western initially. Dayenu was the most prominent kingdom in Nairi tribal federation. It's king Seni was the leader of the anti-Assyrian Nairian coalition. He was captured after the defeat. It seems after those events Dayenu moved further north were they are attested in Urartian period as Diaukhi.

Urartians conquered it and incorporated in their state.

In both cases the root is the Daye/Diaue. Later attested as Tao/Tay-k'

According Aylin.Erdem groove ware which had similarities but also regional varieties correspond to Dayenu/Diaukhi also. That's looks plausible.

The main unknown about Dayenu was it a new Early Iron Age kingdom or it was a new name of an pre-existing LBA kingdom attested in Hittite sources. Probably archaeology will help better understand this issue.

E-M84 in Armenia.

 E-M84 in Armenia.

We have already three cases of E-M84 from Middle and Late Bronze Age Armenia (modern Republic ). And another from Arslantepe_EBA which btw is the oldest M84 ( ~ 5200 ybp ) we have currently.

E-M84 can be found in 3% of modern Armenians. It's the most frequent type of E in Armenia. It's age is 7700 year old. In theory it could have reached Armenia in Neolithic but it is more likely that it's apparition is related to Late Chalcolithic (~6300 ybp) events known as Chaff faced ware. As I mentioned earlier this period shows evidence of increasing contacts with North Mesopotamia.

Ultimate origin of upstream M35 is obviously the Levant but the exact locus from which all modern M84 descend is hard to pinpoint. In most likelihood it is not far from historic Armenia, probably on southern flanks of it or in North Mesopotamia. It is quite popular in Arabic countrirs. It is also found among Kurds and Turks but is very rare in Caucasus.

The remarkable thing about the M84 found in MBA grave (Rise416) was that genome wide it had as much Steppe as any other sample found in MLBA/EIA period. It was found in wealthy kurganic burial from Nerquin Getashen (Sevan bassein). Another M84 was found in LBA from the same site. And now another one from Beniamin ( Shirak region ).

The internal structure of M84 is complex. Many Armenian M84-s still remain uncategorized due to lack of deep testing. Those who have deep testing belong to three main branches. One of which has ~3000 year age ( https://www.yfull.com/tree/E-FGC18388/ ). Two other branches are older. One of them is related to Arslantepe M84 ( https://www.yfull.com/tree/E-CTS9608/ ).

The branch from Beniamin ( https://www.yfull.com/tree/E-Y6186/ ) assuming it is correct is still missing in FTDNA but with more testing we will find it.

In sum we can deduce that during the MBA some M84 men where successfully integrated into a new society. Reached high social position and expanded over time inside Armenia. One of such expansion occured in Iron Age. Chances are high that it was related to IE speaking migrations. Which is interesting because E-M35 xM78 ( most might be M84) is more frequent in Erzrum region ~5.1% and Araratian plain. This can pinpoint to some connections between MLBA modern Armenia and Erzrum region in the past. In any case aDNA is needed to confirm this.

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This map is not from a academic paper.

 This map is not from a academic paper. It's an attempt to represent Mesolithic/Neolithic population in Western Eurasia. It's very approximate with some errors but it's better than nothing, so I will use it to describe the post LGM genetic landscape.

The Late Glacial Maximum was a major shock. When it finished (20.000 years ago) a new genetic situation emerged in West Eurasia. It was mostly shaped by geographic objects. Mountains , seas, rivers etc.

WHG populated most Europe except it's Eastern part. The most frequent haplogroup in WHG was the I2.

EHG populated most Eastern Europe. It's Eastern border are not precise but in most likelihood it was Ural mountain range. The most frequent haplogroup was the R1. EHG was in intermediate position between ANE and WHG.

WSHG populated most western Siberia and Central Asia. It was similar to famous ANE ( also known as Afontova Gora) with some extra admixtures from East Asia and EHG. The most frequent haplogroup was the Q1

There were various pops between EHG and WHG who were mix of both. One such example was the Mesolithic Scandinavia. Another example the Neolithic Ukraine.

In South

Iran Neolithic which btw was present in Mesolithic also. It's a quite basal population who's exact borders are still unknown but in most likelihood was present in Indus valley in lesser degree since the Mesolithic. I don't know any evidence of it's presence in ancient Arabian peninsula and Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia didn't have any population before Ubaid so we will not see any aDNA from there. In most likelihood Zagros was its natural western border. The main haplogroups were J and R2. Maybe also L?

CHG. Caucasian hunter gatherers. Similar to Iran Neolithic but more Northern shifted. It was living around Caucasian range and in Eastern parts of Black sea. The northern border is exaggerated in this map. The most frequent haplogroup was the J

Natufian was a Epipaleolithic/Mesolithic pop in Levant. It was quite distant from Iran Neolithic. At the other extreme of the genetic cline. In most likelihood it was also present in Egypt. It's northern border was the Taurus. The later Levant Neolithic PPNB is related to it. The most frequent haplogroup was the E1b-M35. In Neolithic period T and H2 also appears.

Anatolian farmers are similar to Natufian/Levant Neolithic except that they were more northern and has extra WHG affiliation. Eastern border is not certain but in most likelihood it was the Euphrates river. Also in it's North Eastern part it was probably admixed with CHG since old times. Western borders are also incertain. Some believe it was present in Greece Mesolithic. The most frequent haplogroups were G2a2, H2 also C1a2 from archaic Paleolithic period.

Iberomaurisian was a North West African pop. It's Eastern border is probably exaggerated. The most frequent haplogroup was E1b-M35

And finally the post LGM natives of Armenian highlands and South Caucasus lowlands. I added it in yellow color. Unfortunately we don't have any Mesolithic sample from this region. Only two Neolithic samples from Azerbaijan and an outlier from Cayonu Tepesi near Diyarbekir. Based on those samples we can say that this pop ( which by the way do not have yet a scientific name ) was an intermediate between Iran Neolithic/CHG from one side and Natufian/Anatolian from the western side. In most likelihood a similar pop was present in North Mesopotamia. Though the exact borders are hard to predict. In Chalcolithic it was present in NW Iran also. Overall this type of ancestry expanded a lot in Copper Age. The Central farmer calculator is based on this idea that most Near Eastern pops are not simply a mix of Iran/CHG/Levant/Anatolia but also have a fifth component related to Central farmers. We don't have old Y dna but we can predict a mix of J,G. Also T in North Mesopotamia. Maybe even L but this latter can be also from Iran Neo.

PS The second chart represent some ancient pops that we discuss frequently. Based on deep post-LGM ancestries.

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The black burnished Etiuni pottery before the Urartian arrival. Also known as Lchashen-Metsamor culture.

   1.The black burnished Etiuni pottery before the Urartian arrival. Also known as Lchashen-Metsamor culture.

2. The red Urartian pottery, that appear in modern Armenia in 8th century BC. But remain unmixed till 7th century.

3. The syncretic "local Urartian pottery" also known as Lchashen-Metsamor VI period. This third syncretic type forms in 7th century BC. The remarkable thing is that it contains also Scythian arrowheads in burials. Which btw do not mean automatically Scythian person. This third type persist well into Armenian Satrapy (6th-5th century BC) period which is marked by the arrival of Achaemenid Persian political and cultural influences. New type of potteries included.

THE POTTERY TRADITIONS IN ARMENIA FROM THE EIGHTH TO THE SEVENTH CENTURIES BC, Pavel Avetisyan

People frequently ask the same question.

 People frequently ask the same question. Why Armenians score less Steppe than more Southern pops in charts. They are numerous reasons. But the most important is the different baseline used for Armenians (and sometime wrong ) and other Near Eastern pops. Imagine You measure the height of two persons. One stands on the chair and the other on the floor. Who will be higher?

But when You force things with the same baseline things change. I just removed CHG and Anatolian Neo and affiliated to them Central farmer.

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