Multidisciplinary Study Sheds Light on Agricultural Diffusion, Population Movement, and Funeral Practices in Ancient Gansu
In a study published in Cell on September 3, 2026, a research team led by Professor Fu Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with multiple institutions, has reported genomic data from 149 ancient human individuals in Gansu, dated to around 4700 to 3000 years ago, an important period when cereals and livestock domesticated in western Eurasia were first introduced to the region. By integrating genetics, archaeology, and anthropology, the results reveal population history in the Gansu region under this trans-Eurasian exchange, as well as a detailed investigation into Late Neolithic and Bronze Age social practices at a large cemetery at Mogou.
