The Government has initiated a thorough scientific study combining ancient and modern genomics to trace South Asia’s population history, addressing the conflicting theories surrounding the origins of ancient Indian communities.
The study is being carried out by the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), which operates under the Ministry of Culture. Named “Reconstruction of the Population History of South Asia Using Ancient and Modern Genomics,” the project will examine 300 ancient skeletal remains, mainly skulls and other bone fragments, including teeth, collected from various archaeological sites in India and Pakistan.
The remains include those found during excavations before and after Independence at Indus Valley Civilisation sites like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (now in Pakistan), as well as in Burzahom (Jammu & Kashmir), Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh), Maski (Karnataka), Ropar (Punjab), and Lothal (Gujarat). The skeletal remains were dug up between 1922 and 1958 by the Archaeological Survey of India and were later handed over to the AnSI, which now looks after these ancient remains, according to AnSI Director B.V. Sharma.
The study, which uses scientific methods like DNA analysis, aims to provide information about how ancient populations moved in India. This evidence will also help us understand how the ancient Indian population grew over time.
Officials explained that from a historical perspective, the project is being carried out with the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow under the Department of Science & Technology. It aims to investigate the origins of ancient Indian communities by studying the DNA from these skeletal remains.
B V Sharma added that the study will also reveal information about ancient diets, living conditions, disease patterns, how people adapted to their environment, their migration patterns, and how they interacted and shared their genes over time.
“In simple terms, this research will help us understand where people originated, how they lived, and how changes in the environment influenced their history and legacy,” he said.
In the 19th century, Western scholars suggested the Aryan invasion theory, which claimed that a group of fair-skinned, farming people migrated from Central Asia to India after the Indus Valley period (2000-1500 BC) and greatly influenced the region’s civilisation. However, many modern archaeologists in India believe that the Aryans were actually local people who primarily lived along the Saraswati River.
Once the Saraswati River dried up, people migrated to different areas within and outside India and settled in the Indus Valley. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) points to recent excavations at the 4,000-year-old site in Sinauli, Uttar Pradesh, where they discovered evidence of burials of warriors, weapons, and chariots that are native to the region.
The agreement for the study between AnSI and the Birbal Sahni Institute was signed in July, and the project is expected to be finished by December 2025, according to sources. Niraj Rai, Group Head of the Ancient DNA Lab at the Birbal Sahni Institute, said that comparing ancient DNA with modern DNA from India is very important for understanding India’s complicated migration history and the origins of ancient civilisations.
“We are currently working to extract DNA samples from the remains given to us by AnSI, which is a complex process,” he said, noting that so far, they have found signs of continuity without any genetic changes in the samples they’ve been able to extract.
Additionally, AnSI has signed an agreement with University College London to work together on similar studies. “This partnership aims to improve our understanding of genetic and cultural evolution in human populations,” Sharma said, adding that AnSI is also forming collaborations with other research institutions for a deeper understanding of this topic.
