Isotopic and DNA analyses reveal multiscale PPNB mobility and migration across Southeastern Anatolia and the Southern Levant

Abstract

We present the integrative bioarchaeological study on the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) in the Southeastern Anatolia by combining isotopic data (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, and δ13Ccarb), new radiocarbon dates, and genome-wide data recovered from human skeletal remains from the site of Nevalı Çori. We also report human genome-wide data from post-Neolithic Nevalı Çori and the late PPNB site of Ba'ja in the Southern Levant. Our combined isotope and ancient DNA data fill a research gap between prehistoric Anatolian and Levantine populations. Our results indicate a decline in human mobility after the first phase of the PPNB in the Southeastern Anatolia accompanied by increasing reliance on domesticated resources and evidence of consanguinity in the PPNB Levant.