Reference library / Sample profile

A woman buried in Russia in the Neolithic era

Explore the recorded context, genetic comparisons and research behind this reference sample.

RussiaNeolithic Devil's Cave, Russia

A reference profile describes this sample. It does not establish a personal or family relationship.

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AI-generated artistic reconstruction, not a photograph of the individual.

Record

Sample details

Recorded details and available lineage markers.

Individual

Proto-Indo-European individual, Russia

Sample ID: NEO235

Date Range

5802 BCE - 5628 BCE

Cultural Period

Neolithic Devil's Cave, Russia

Biological Sex

Female

mtDNA Haplogroup

D4m

Y-DNA Haplogroup

Not available

Social Role

Hunter (AI estimate, era-typical)

Geography

Location

Where this individual was discovered

Country Russia

Locality Devil's Gate Cave

Coordinates 44.5000, 135.4000

Chronology

Date range

When this individual lived in the broader context of human history

Proto-Indo-European individual, Russia 5802 BCE - 5628 BCE

Context

Historical context

Background information associated with the reference record.

Region & Environment

The Russian Far East encompasses diverse environments, including coastal zones and uplands affected by cold seasons and marine productivity. In Neolithic contexts linked to Devil’s Cave, the surrounding landscape would have provided both aquatic and terrestrial resources, with seasonal variation shaping access.

Historical Context

Between roughly 6000 and 2000 BCE, Neolithic developments in the region involved continued refinement of subsistence strategies and increasing use of ceramic technology. These centuries reflect gradual local changes rather than a single, uniform event across the Far East.

Populations & Lifeways

Communities likely relied heavily on aquatic resources such as fish and shellfish where available, supplemented by terrestrial hunting and gathering. Seasonal rounds would have been important for taking advantage of predictable cycles in animal behavior and resource availability.

Archaeology & Material Culture

The Devil’s Cave Neolithic is commonly discussed through tool and pottery assemblages that indicate a maritime-oriented Neolithic lifestyle. Stone tools would have been used for cutting, scraping, and processing food and materials, while ceramics suggest cooking and storage needs. Where preservation allows, archaeologists may also identify manufacturing debris and features indicating repeated activity at or near the site.

Culture & Society

Cultural patterns are inferred from recurring associations of pottery traits and lithic technology, which can reflect shared traditions within local communities. Such patterns also suggest that knowledge about processing aquatic resources and producing everyday tools was transmitted over generations.

Legacy & Transition

Over time, the Neolithic lifeways of the Far East continued to evolve as regional climates and broader technological horizons changed. The Devil’s Cave sequence contributes to understanding how maritime Neolithic economies could persist and gradually transform toward later prehistoric phases.

Analysis

Genetic comparisons

These comparisons show genetic similarity, not identity or origin. The populations listed are those whose genomes show statistical alignment to this ancient individual.

Similarity reflects shared history, not shared identity. These are analytical comparisons, not claims about who this person was.

Modern Genetic Admixture

This analysis compares the DNA profile with present-day reference populations, showing statistical similarity to modern reference populations from different regions. The excavation site records where this individual was found, not a fixed modern genetic identity.

Asia 99.2%

Northern Asian 51.8%

Mongolian 31.2%

Siberian 20.6%

Japanese & Korean 47.4%

Japanese 47.4%

Africa 0.5%

African Hunter-Gatherer 0.5%

Closest Modern Populations

These are the modern populations showing the closest statistical alignment to A woman buried in Russia in the Neolithic era, ranked by genetic distance. Lower distance values indicate closer statistical similarity. Cross-region similarity can reflect shared ancestry, population movement, continuity, or later admixture.

Oroqen

2.9323

Ulchi

3.5025

Nanai

3.6500