Genetic continuity between ancient and modern Han Chinese
The Hengbei archaeological site in Jiang County, southern Shanxi was part of the suburbs of the capital during the Zhou dynasty. Genetic material from human remains in Hengbei have been used to examine the genetic continuity between ancient and modern Han Chinese.
Comparisons of Y chromosome
single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) between modern Northern Han Chinese and 3,000-year-old Hengbei samples reveal extreme similarity, confirming genetic continuity between ancient Hengbei inhabitants to present-day Northern Han Chinese. This shows that the core genetic structure of Northern Han Chinese was established more than three thousand years ago in the Central Plains Area. Additionally, these studies indicate that contemporary northern and southern Han Chinese populations exhibit an almost identical Y-DNA genetic structure, indicating a common paternal descent, corroborating the historical record of Han Chinese migration to the south.However, a study of mitochondrial DNA from Yinxu commoner graves in the
Shang dynastyshowed similarity with modern Northern Han Chinese, but significant differences from southern Han Chinese, indicating admixture on the matriline.
A 2026 study showed significant genetic continuity within Central Plains populations. Based on the remains of Sanzhiyuan cemetery from the Qing dynasty in Henan, there was no genetic influence from Manchus, Mongols and other steppe-related groups. Instead, they were direct descendants of local Tang-era populations, with modern Han Chinese from Henan and Shandong also showing continuity. However, the Tang-era populations themselves also did received minimal input from
Central Asian-related sources.