The study also shows how triangulating linguistic, archaeological, and genetic approaches can increase the credibility and validity of the hypothesis, but the researchers are the first to acknowledge the need for further research. More ancient DNA, more research into etymology and more archaeological research will deepen our understanding of human migrations in Neolithic Northeast Asia and reveal the impact of subsequent population migrations, many of which they say were pastoralists.
“There is much more to the formation of the language family across Eurasia than just a primary driver of Neolithic migration,” said Mark Hudson, an archaeologist with the Archaeological Linguistic Research Group and one of the corresponding authors. “There is still much that we need to learn.” from the study.
“Accepting that the roots of your language – and to some extent your culture – lie outside current national borders can require some kind of identity reorientation, and this is not always an easy step for people to take,” said Professor Robbits. “But the science of human history shows us that the history of all languages, cultures and peoples is a history of extensive interaction and mixing.”
“Powerful countries such as Japan, Korea, and China are often presented as representing one language, one culture, and one genetic profile. But one fact that makes people with an uncomfortable nationalist agenda is that all languages, cultures, and people, including those in Asia, being mixture”.
Already in Korea, the study affected a chord in a number of people. An article about the study published on the website of one of the largest Korean newspapers provoked many reactions from people who did not want to be associated with the Japanese, let alone know one of the genetic components of the Jomon in the Korean DNA.
The team’s study was published in temper nature. This article is based on a press release from Max-Planck-Institut für Menschheitsgeschichte and emails from Professor Robbeets and telex from Reuters.
