Scientists trace half the DNA in Xinjiang’s oldest tombs to Yellow River farmers

A new study published in the journal *Science* has revealed that the ancient population of the Tianshanbeilu cemetery in Xinjiang, China, was genetically mixed. Previously, these Bronze Age tombs, dating back 3,600 years to China's Shang dynasty, were believed to belong to Eurasian nomads. However, genetic analysis shows that approximately half of the DNA found in these oldest tombs originates from farmers of the Yellow River region. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption about the origins of the people who lived in this eastern Tianshan region, indicating a more complex population history than previously understood.