New DNA evidence from nine prehistoric skeletals in South Africa challenges long-standing beliefs about how early populations moved and evolved in the region. The artifact, discovered at the Oakhurst Rock Shelter near George on the south coast, dates back 9,000 years ago and suggests a continuing genetic lineage that minimized external influences until about 1,300 years ago.
Ancient genomes reveal deep-rooted continuity
The study, led by Dr. Joscha Gretzinger of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, analyzed the DNA of individuals buried in various depths within the Oakhurst site. Despite its thousands of years, the samples shared very stable genetic characteristics, suggesting that the people living there formed a consistent lineage throughout the Holocene era.
This challenges previous assumptions that cultural changes will change, such as changes in stone tool technology. Instead, the evidence now shows local innovation and internal development. According to Earth.com, these cultural adaptations occur “without large external genetic inputs,” indicating that Indigenous peoples are responsible for the shifts seen in archaeological records.
Late arrival of external influences
The first major confusion over this genetic continuity came about 1,300 years ago when pastoralism and agriculture began to appear in the area. Genetic traces from East African herdsmen and West African farmers slowly entered the local gene pool, marking the beginning of a new phase of interaction. Over time, these outside influences have mixed with local residents. This is a process that intensified during the later period of trade and European colonization.
Several modern populations, such as Khomani and Karretjimense, still have segments of DNA that link directly to these ancient communities. In fact, Dr. Gretzinger said, “parts of the Southern Sun in South Africa still preserve this ancient Pleistocene genetic signature.”
Culture evolved from within, not from the transition
Oakhurst's findings rarely see communities that have maintained their identity for thousands of years, even if cultural practices evolve. Archaeologists have long interpreted changes in tool design and self-sufficiency patterns as evidence that external groups arrive and affect the area. This new analysis reverses the story.
Instead of immigration bringing new technologies, the local population appears to have refined them independently and refined them. These insights reconstruct how scientists understand the resilience and adaptability of ancient South African communities, particularly compared to the frequent upheavals seen in Europe and Asia during similar periods.
Tracking ancient links through modern DNA
Even today, many South African communities have mixed ancestors, including contributions from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Over the centuries, colonization and trade introduced new genetic elements and complicated the paintings of ancestors. However, recent DNA studies help scientists peel off these layers and reveal the lasting legacy of the area's first inhabitants.
This study also elicis similarities with other hunter-gatherer societies in Africa. This includes ancient lineages that provide valuable insight into early human history. Researchers used advanced computational tools to track shared DNA segments over thousands of years to confirm the long-term continuity of these populations.
