Pumapunku at Tiwanaku
A solitary ancient genome illuminates a monumental Andean landscape
Ancient and historical cultures
DNA Spotlights
Explore the places, time periods, and published research behind ancient DNA samples and the cultures associated with them.
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Culture collection
145–156 of 1,627 spotlights
Totocachi Echoes
A late Tiwanaku presence in the Bolivian highlands revealed through material culture and a single maternal lineage
Nqoma Early Iron Age, Botswana
A lone genome from 700–1090 CE offering a glimpse of southern African maternal heritage
Klakar: A Medieval Bosnian Window
A single genomic and archaeological glimpse into 13th‑century life in Bosnia‑Herzegovina
Cabeçuda Sambaqui, 3200 BP
Shell-mound builders of Brazil's south coast—archaeology meets fragile ancient DNA
Cubatão I Sambaqui, 2700 BP
Coastal mound-builders on Brazil’s south shore, glimpsed through shells and mitochondrial DNA
Echoes from Toca do Enoque
A solitary Late Holocene hunter-gatherer voice from Serra da Capivara
Capelinha Sambaqui — 10.4k BP
One ancient genome from a SE Brazilian shell mound hints at coastal foragers and deep Native American roots
Galheta IV Sambaqui: Coastal Ancestor
A 7th–9th century CE burial from Galheta IV linking shell‑mound life to a Native American maternal lineage
Echoes from Jabuticabeira II
Shell-mound voices from coastal Brazil, where people and genes meet the estuary
Jabuticabeira II — Sambaqui, 1300 BP
A single ancient maternal lineage from a coastal shell-mound brings archaeology and DNA into conversation.
Jabuticabeira II: Sambaqui Coast
Late sambaqui coastal community revealed by shell mounds, burials, and ancient DNA