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Tides of History · October 15, 2019 · 45m

The Ancient DNA Revolution

How ancient DNA analysis is rewriting our understanding of prehistory. Mass migrations, population replacements, and genetic mixing that were invisible to archaeology are now revealed by genomic data, overturning decades of scholarly consensus.

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Highlights

New evidence can overturn established scholarly consensus overnight
Ancient DNA revealed that the transition to farming in Europe involved massive population replacement, not just cultural adoption. Decades of archaeological theory was overturned by a single new technology.
Prehistory was far more violent and dynamic than we imagined
Ancient DNA reveals waves of population replacement, suggesting that prehistoric migrations often involved the near-complete displacement of previous populations — a far more violent picture than traditional archaeology suggested.
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