Groundbreaking research led by the Anthropological Survey of India has sequenced the DNA of skeletal remains from copper-mining sites in the Aravalli Range, dating to approximately 3000 BCE. The genomic data reveals a distinct genetic cluster among these individuals, suggesting that the knowledge of copper smelting and alloy production was restricted to specific endogamous technical lineages during the Early Bronze Age.
This 'artisan genome' indicates that social specialization in India began much earlier than previously thought, centered around technological guilds rather than agricultural tribes. The study also found that these metallurgical communities maintained long-distance genetic links with contemporary populations in the Oman Peninsula, confirming that the trade of copper and metallurgical secrets was a primary driver of cross-continental connectivity five millennia ago.