Human migration in the eastern Tianshan Mountains between the 7th and 12th centuries

Abstract

Objective Mid‐ to late‐Holocene large‐scale population migration profoundly impacted the interaction of ethnic groups and cultures across Eurasia, notably in Central Asia. However, due to a lack of thorough historical documents, distinctive burial items, and human remains, the process of population migration during this historical era in the area is still unclear. Using an interdisciplinary approach at the Lafuqueke (LFQK) cemetery, this study investigates the spatiotemporal processes and explores the factors that influenced human migration in the eastern Tianshan Mountains between the 7th and 12th centuries. Materials and Methods In this study, tooth enamel from 56 human remains found in the LFQK cemetery in Hami Basin, eastern Tianshan Mountains, is examined for strontium and lead isotopes. Results The early, middle, and late phases of migration might potentially be represented by a three‐phase migration model, according to the isotopic study. The highest proportion of the early phase (ca. 7th–mid 7th century) comprised non‐locals (54.55%), although this percentage decreased in the middle phase (mid 7th–mid 8th centuries, 30.77%). After the 10th century, the proportion of non‐locals again fell (16.13%). Conclusion In this study, the interdisciplinary approach was employed to propose a new model for the diachronic changes that accompanied human migration and cultural interaction in the eastern Tianshan Mountains and identified geopolitics as a significant factor influencing the migratory behavior of LFQK population in this region between the 7th and 12th centuries.

Unveiling the Dynamics of Millet Spread into Xinjiang: New Evidence of the Timing, Pathways, and Cultural Background

“…The sites where millet grains were found or for which isotopic data signaling C 4derived food consumption are available were classified into five phases, from the earliest to the latest, according to their calibrated 14 C dates (Table S1 in Supplementary Materials S1) [22][23][24][25][26]43,44,46,49,51,52,. Phase 1 (before 2000 BC) is represented by the sites of Tongtiandong, Xintala, and Xiaohe, all of which held millet grains.…”