Ancient Individual

A man buried in Russia in the Copper Age era

Name: DNAGENICS DNA Analysis Platform
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A man buried in Russia during the Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia

A fragment of the ancient world, preserved across millennia in strands of DNA.

MK5008

3369 BCE - 3103 BCE

Male

Russia

Explore Their Story Discover Your Shared Roots

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Chapter I

Identity

The biological and cultural markers that define this ancient individual

Sample ID

MK5008

Date Range

3369 BCE - 3103 BCE

Cultural Period

Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia

Biological Sex

Male

mtDNA Haplogroup

T1a2

Y-DNA Haplogroup

J-M267

Social Role

Pastoralist (AI estimate, era-typical)

Chapter II

Place

Where this individual was discovered

Country Russia

Locality Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5

Coordinates 43.9054, 43.5219

Chapter III

Time

When this individual lived in the broader context of human history

MK5008 3369 BCE - 3103 BCE

Chapter IV

Story

The narrative of this ancient life

The Late Maikop Culture (c. 3000–2500 BCE) in the North Caucasus reflects a mature phase within the Maikop-related horizon, when copper and early metallurgy were increasingly integrated into daily life and craft systems. Regional differences across valleys and uplands shape how these communities lived and how their material culture appears in the archaeological record.

Region & Environment

North Caucasia combines uplands, foothills, and valley systems that offered seasonal routes and diverse ecological zones. Access to river corridors and grazing areas would have been critical for pastoral and hunting strategies.

Historical Context

This period sits within the transition from chalcolithic developments into broader Bronze Age patterns. Late Maikop horizons are typically understood through continuities and changes in pottery, burial practices, and craft traditions characteristic of the Maikop sphere.

Populations & Lifeways

Communities likely practiced mixed subsistence: herding and hunting supported by plant-related activities where local conditions permitted. Settlement may have ranged from more durable sites to locations used seasonally for resource access.

Archaeology & Material Culture

Archaeological visibility comes from ceramics, stone tools, and copper/bronze-related artifacts where preservation allows. Pottery typologies and burial-related evidence help distinguish Late Maikop phases from earlier Maikop intervals.

Culture & Society

Material patterns suggest networks of shared practice and exchange. Distinctive artifact categories—especially those used in ceremonial or high-status contexts where identified—signal social differentiation and participation in wider interaction systems.

Legacy & Transition

The Late Maikop phase contributes to the lead-in toward later Early Bronze Age horizons in the Caucasus. As new cultural complexes emerged after 2500 BCE, elements of local craft traditions and exchange relationships likely continued in modified forms.

Chapter V

Genetics

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 99.7%

Northern West Asian 65.3%

Mesopotamian 33.9%

Caucasian 19.5%

Cypriot 11.9%

Arab, Egyptian & Levantine 25.0%

Levantine 25.0%

Central Asian, Northern Indian & Pakistani 9.5%

Pakistan 5.6%

Indian 3.9%

Closest Modern Populations

These are the modern populations showing the closest statistical alignment to A man buried in Russia in the Copper Age 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.

Turkish Erzurum

2.2309

Georgian Kakh

2.9549

Udi

2.9879

Armenian Syunik

3.1160

Armenian Artsakh

3.1318

Armenian Hemsheni

3.1458

Georgian Samtckhe

3.2237

Georgian Kart

3.2861

Ahiska

3.3261

Andian A

3.3661

Context

Related Samples

This individual exists within a broader network of ancient samples. No ancient genome stands alone.

Sample ID	Culture/Period	Date	Location	Action
ARM001	Early Bronze Age Armenia	3625 BCE	South Caucasus mountains. Kaps, Armenia	View
ARM002	Early Bronze Age Armenia	3356 BCE	South Caucasus mountains. Kaps, Armenia	View
AY2001	The Maikop Culture	3514 BCE	Kaspi steppe. Aygurskij 2, Russia	View
AY2003	The Maikop Culture	3630 BCE	Kaspi steppe. Aygurskij 2, Russia	View
BU2001	North Caucasus Culture, Russia	2866 BCE	Piedmont. Belij Ugol 2, Russia	View
GW1001	North Caucasus Culture, Russia	2883 BCE	Piedmont. Gorjačevodskij 1, Russia	View
I1722	Eneolithic Caucasus, Russia	4539 BCE	Unakozovskaya, Russia	View
I2051	Late Bronze Age Dolmen Culture, Caucasus, Russia	1450 BCE	North Caucasus. Marchenkova Gora, Russia	View
I2055	Eneolithic Caucasus, Russia	4676 BCE	Unakozovskaya, Russia	View
I2056	Eneolithic Caucasus, Russia	4607 BCE	Unakozovskaya, Russia	View
I6266	Maikop-Novosvobodnaya Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3504 BCE	Klady. Dlinnaya Polyana, Russia	View
I6267	Maikop-Novosvobodnaya Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3625 BCE	Klady. Dlinnaya Polyana, Russia	View
I6268	Maikop-Novosvobodnaya Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3516 BCE	Klady. Dlinnaya Polyana, Russia	View
I6272	Maikop-Novosvobodnaya Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3318 BCE	Klady. Dlinnaya Polyana, Russia	View
IV3002	The Maikop Culture	3617 BCE	North Caucasus steppe. Ipatovo 3, Russia	View
KBD001	Middle Bronze Age North Caucasus, Russia	2197 BCE	North Caucasus mountains. Kabardinka, Russia	View
KBD002	Middle Bronze Age North Caucasus, Russia	2192 BCE	North Caucasus mountains. Kabardinka, Russia	View
KDC001	Middle Bronze Age North Caucasus, Russia	1950 BCE	Piedmont/mountains. Kudachurt, Russia	View
KDC002	Middle Bronze Age North Caucasus, Russia	1900 BCE	Piedmont/mountains. Kudachurt, Russia	View
LYG001	North Caucasus Culture, Russia	2866 BCE	Piedmont. Lysogarskaya, Russia	View
MK3003	Catacomb Culture, Russian Steppe	2580 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 3, Russia	View
MK5001	Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3400 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5, Russia	View
MK5004	Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3400 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5, Russia	View
MK5008	Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3369 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5, Russia	View
MK5009	North Caucasus Culture, Russia	2879 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5, Russia	View
NV3001	Lola Culture, Russian Steppe	2127 BCE	North Caucasus steppe. Nevinnommiskij 3, Russia	View
OSS001	Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3704 BCE	Piedmont. Ossetia, Russia	View
PG2001	Eneolithic Russian Steppe	4994 BCE	Piedmont. Progress 2, Russia	View
PG2002	North Caucasus Culture, Russia	2476 BCE	Piedmont. Progress 2, Russia	View
PG2004	Eneolithic Russian Steppe	4240 BCE	Piedmont. Progress 2, Russia	View
RK1001	Early Bronze Age Yamnaya Culture, Caucasus, Russia	2881 BCE	Kuban steppe. Rasshevatskij 1, Russia	View
RK1003	North Caucasus Culture, Russia	2899 BCE	Kuban steppe. Rasshevatskij 1, Russia	View
RK1007	Early Bronze Age Yamnaya Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3331 BCE	Kuban steppe. Rasshevatskij 1, Russia	View
RK4001	Catacomb Culture, Russian Steppe	2451 BCE	Kuban steppe. Rasshevatskij 4, Russia	View
RK4002	Catacomb Culture, Russian Steppe	2662 BCE	Kuban steppe. Rasshevatskij 4, Russia	View
SA6001	The Maikop Culture	3520 BCE	Kaspi steppe. Šarachalsun 6, Russia	View
I11133	Late Maikop Culture, Russia	3332 BCE	Sinjucha. Kuban steppe, Russia	View
SA6003	Catacomb Culture, Russian Steppe	2470 BCE	Kaspi steppe. Šarachalsun 6, Russia	View
SA6004	The Maikop Culture	3359 BCE	Kaspi steppe. Šarachalsun 6, Russia	View
SA6010	Russian Yamnaya	2886 BCE	Kaspi steppe. Šarachalsun 6, Russia	View
SA6013	The Maikop Culture	3360 BCE	Kaspi steppe. Šarachalsun 6, Russia	View
I11131	Late Maikop Culture, Russia	3349 BCE	Sinjucha. Kuban steppe, Russia	View
I11132	Late Maikop Culture, Russia	3350 BCE	Sinjucha. Kuban steppe, Russia	View
VEK006	Kura-Araxes Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3000 BCE	Caspian sea shore. Velikent, Russia	View
VEK007	Kura-Araxes Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3000 BCE	Caspian sea shore. Velikent, Russia	View
VJ1001	Eneolithic Russian Steppe	4337 BCE	Piedmont. Vonjucka 1, Russia	View
ZO2002	Early Bronze Age Yamnaya Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3300 BCE	North Caucasus steppe. Zolotarjëvka 2, Russia	View
OSS002	The Maikop Culture	3932 BCE	Ossetia'. Piedmont, Russia	View
MK5005	The Maikop Culture	3650 BCE	Mar'inskaja 5. Piedmont, Russia	View
I1723	North Caucasus Culture, Russia	2877 BCE	Goryachevadskiy, Russia	View
I1720	Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3700 BCE	Baksanyonok, Russia	View
SA6002	Late Maikop Culture, Russia	3332 BCE	Sinyukha (Republic of Adygea, Krasnogvardeysky District), Russia	View
SIJ002	Late Maikop Culture, Russia	3349 BCE	Sinyukha (Republic of Adygea, Krasnogvardeysky District), Russia	View
SIJ003	Late Maikop Culture, Russia	3350 BCE	Sinyukha (Republic of Adygea, Krasnogvardeysky District), Russia	View
ARM002		3356 BCE	South Caucasus mountains. Kaps, Armenia	View
VEK007		3000 BCE	Caspian sea shore. Velikent, Russia	View
I1720		3700 BCE	Baksanyonok, Russia	View
I1723		2877 BCE	Goryachevadskiy, Russia	View

Sample ID	Culture/Period	Date	Location	Action
MK5001	Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3400 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5, Russia	View
MK5004	Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3400 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5, Russia	View
MK5008	Late Maikop Culture, Caucasus, Russia	3369 BCE	Piedmont. Mar'inskaja 5, Russia	View

Sources

References

Scientific publications and genetic data that inform this profile.

Scientific Publication

Ancient human genome-wide data from a 3000-year interval in the Caucasus corresponds with eco-geographic regions

Authors Wang CC, Reinhold S, Kalmykov A, Wissgott A, Brandt G et al.

Abstract

Archaeogenetic studies have described the formation of Eurasian 'steppe ancestry' as a mixture of Eastern and Caucasus hunter-gatherers. However, it remains unclear when and where this ancestry arose and whether it was related to a horizon of cultural innovations in the 4th millennium BCE that subsequently facilitated the advance of pastoral societies in Eurasia. Here we generated genome-wide SNP data from 45 prehistoric individuals along a 3000-year temporal transect in the North Caucasus. We observe a genetic separation between the groups of the Caucasus and those of the adjacent steppe. The northern Caucasus groups are genetically similar to contemporaneous populations south of it, suggesting human movement across the mountain range during the Bronze Age. The steppe groups from Yamnaya and subsequent pastoralist cultures show evidence for previously undetected farmer-related ancestry from different contact zones, while Steppe Maykop individuals harbour additional Upper Palaeolithic Siberian and Native American related ancestry.

View in DNAGENICS View Original Publication

G25 Coordinates

These coordinates represent a position in genetic space, a tool for comparison, not a conclusion. You can use these to perform custom admixture analysis in G25 Studio.

MK5008,0.08786636,0.12234722,-0.05583626,-0.05233218,-0.03770266,-0.01277856,0.00602868,-0.00342756,-0.0374299,-0.01284858,0.00349852,0.00315308,-0.00584232,0.002291,-0.00299514,-0.00862054,0.00635776,-0.00239504,-0.00408412,0.00571546,0.006336,0.00212766,0.00078576,-0.00745374,-0.00470868

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