A pioneering paleogenomic study of skeletal remains from a megalithic burial site in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region has revealed a surprising genetic connection to Bronze Age populations from the Iranian plateau. The research suggests that the Iron Age megalith builders of central India were part of a complex migratory and trade network that spanned thousands of kilometers.
The study, published in the Journal of Anthropological Genetics, utilized advanced DNA sequencing to reconstruct the ancestral profiles of individuals buried in stone circles. The data indicates a significant gene flow that coincides with the introduction of advanced iron-smelting techniques in the Indian subcontinent.