#EastAsia

A groundbreaking study of ancient genomes from Yunnan, China, is rewriting the history books on the origins and diversity of East Asian populations—with implications reaching as far as Thailand and Southeast Asia. Published in the prestigious journal Science, the research analyzed DNA from 127 ancient humans spanning a remarkable 7,100 to 1,400 years ago. The comprehensive genetic findings challenge previous assumptions about migration, ancestry, and the emergence of linguistic groups still thriving across the region today (Science).

Archaeologists have uncovered groundbreaking evidence about the construction and purpose of the Gobi Wall, overturning decades-old assumptions about this enigmatic, 321-kilometre section of East Asia’s medieval wall system. The findings, published recently in the academic journal Land, illuminate how the Gobi Wall—long shrouded in mystery—served as much more than a simple defensive barrier across the highland deserts of Mongolia (sci.news).

For generations, the immense network of ancient walls snaking across northern China and Mongolia sparked speculation among historians and archaeologists. Often lumped alongside the mighty Great Wall of China, the Gobi Wall’s origins, function, and historical context remained largely unexplored, especially in the harsh, arid stretches of southern Mongolia’s Ömnögovi province. This new research changes that, unveiling a dynamic narrative of imperial ambition, frontier management, and environmental adaptation.