Pre-Tibetan Voices of the Plateau

The Pre_Tibetan designation groups 30 samples spanning 387 BCE to 1942 CE from sites across the central and eastern plateau — Longsangquduo (Shigatse), Lajue and Gachong (Lhasa), Latuotanggu and Nudagang (Shigatse), Jiesang (Shannan), Gangre (Nagqu), and Gutong and Kangyu (Nyingchi). Archaeological data indicates these locations were focal points of long‑term occupation in the rain shadows and river valleys of the high plateau.

Material traces — stone foundations, burial clusters, and toolkits recovered at several of these sites — suggest mixed subsistence strategies adapted to thin air: pastoral herd management plausibly combined with cultivation in lower valleys. Limited archaeobotanical evidence from the broader plateau region points to barley and cold‑tolerant crops, while faunal remains imply sheep, goat and possibly yak use; however, preservation is uneven and direct plant/animal associations at every site are not established.

Genetic results show a persistent East Asian signature across centuries, overlapping with archaeological continuity. Interpretation must remain cautious: the 30 samples cover more than a millennium and a half of change, so patterns of continuity may mask episodic migration, local admixture, or cultural reconfiguration. Further sampling across time and settlement types is essential to refine the narrative.

Genetic data from the 30 Pre_Tibetan individuals provide a window onto ancestry and population dynamics across the plateau. Y‑chromosome results are dominated by haplogroup O (16/21 male calls), a lineage common across East Asia and consistent with gene flow from lowland East Asian sources. Haplogroup D (4/21) appears as well and is notable because D is found at elevated frequencies in some Tibeto‑Burman speaking groups and among Himalayan highland populations; its presence here supports a long‑standing autochthonous highland component, though numbers are small. A single N lineage (1/21) hints at a minor northern or northeastern influence.

Mitochondrial diversity is primarily haplogroup M (7/12 female calls), an East Asian and broadly Asian maternal lineage, with additional mtDNA types A21 (2), D (2), F (1), and B (1). This maternal mix aligns with regional East Asian population structure and suggests both local continuity and periodic admixture.

Caveats: while 30 samples are informative, they are spread over nearly two millennia and multiple sites; temporal substructure can conceal shifts in ancestry. Low counts for specific lineages (e.g., D, N, several mtDNA types) mean conclusions about demographic processes and selection (including any genetic signals of high‑altitude adaptation) remain provisional. Integrating genome‑wide data, isotope studies, and expanded sampling will clarify migration pulses, sex‑biased admixture, and adaptation trajectories.