A new genetic study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science revealed evidence of genetic admixture between ancient Central and East Asians, offering fresh insights into the lives of these enigmatic traders.
Renowned for their sense of commerce and diplomacy along the Silk Road from antiquity to the High Middle Ages, the Sogdians became the most successful merchants of the era. They fostered relations between the Hellenistic world and the Qin and Han dynasties, contributing to the trade of goods such as silk, precious stones, and spices.
Historians suppose that the Sogdians adopted mixed marriages as a strategic means of integration while maintaining their commercial activities and transregional networks.
The Silk Road, a network of trade routes connecting China with Europe and the Middle East, played a role as a point of convergence and mixing of cultures and genetic heritages. From the second century BCE through the mid-15th century, it attracted merchants, diplomats, and missionaries from regions including Persia, India, Central Asia, and the Roman Empire.
The Sogdian people originated from Sogdiana, a region that now includes parts of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. They were talented artisans and merchants renowned for their sense of commerce and diplomacy.
As traders, craftsmen, and cultural brokers, the influence of the Sogdian people peaked during the Tang dynasty, approximately from 618 to 907 CE.
Their migrations led to the prosperity of intercultural societies like Chang'an, the flourishing capital of the Tang dynasty.
Despite their influence, much about the origins of the Sogdians and their interactions with local populations remained mysterious.
Written accounts about the Sogdian population were limited, making them enigmatic to researchers. An understanding emerged from the analysis of the two skeletons, helping uncover several components of Sogdian life, including their genetics and contributions to trade and cultural exchange during the golden age of the Silk Road.
The study focused on two skeletons, labeled SUTE1 and SUTE2, excavated from the Tang dynasty tomb M1401 in Guyuan, northwest China. The tomb was unearthed by the Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in 2014 to prevent looting, providing new information about the Sogdians. It contained human remains and artifacts such as coins, frescoes, figurines, and glass beads, indicating strong Sogdian cultural influence and suggesting it belonged to a wealthy Sogdian family settled in the region.
DNA sequencing techniques unveiled a fascinating contrast between the two individuals. The male skeleton, SUTE1, was found to have ties to Turks from Mongolia and Russia, as well as East Asian populations. His chromosomal DNA shows a connection with Turkic groups, reflecting mixed ancestry that includes local components and genetics from the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), according to GEO France. This complex was associated with people who lived in southern Central Asia during the Middle Bronze Age, around 2000 to 1500 BCE.
In contrast, the female skeleton, SUTE2, had more uniform genetics, strongly associated with populations of the Yellow River and ancient cultures of China dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age. She proved to be much closer to the local population in the Yellow River region of China.
These differences in ancestry reflect a pattern of migration and integration characteristic of Sogdian history in China. The genetic duality found in this tomb illustrates the Sogdians' role as a migratory and connective population, integrating influences from distant regions while assimilating into local communities. "The genetic duality found in this tomb reflects the history of the Sogdian people's integration into the broader local society," reported GEO France.
The discovery of SUTE1 and SUTE2 provides further evidence of mixed marriages and cultural assimilation. According to Detik, these mixed marriages stimulated trade and cultural interaction.
The study confirms the crucial role of the Sogdians as intermediaries between the West and the East, connecting the people of Europe with the people of Asia along the Silk Road. The Sogdians became successful in brokering goods with people from different countries, acting as intermediaries in the exchange of goods, ideas, and art between China, Persia, and the Mediterranean world.