New DNA evidence from nine prehistoric skeletons in South Africa challenges long-held beliefs about how early human populations moved and evolved in the region. The remains, discovered at the Oakhurst rockshelter near George on the southern coast, date back as far as 9,000 years and suggest a continuous genetic lineage with minimal outside influence until around 1,300 years ago.
Ancient Genomes Reveal Deep-rooted Continuity
A research, led by Dr. Joscha Gretzinger from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, analyzed DNA from individuals buried at different depths within the Oakhurst site. Despite spanning thousands of years, the samples shared a remarkably stable genetic signature, suggesting the people living there formed a consistent lineage throughout the Holocene epoch.
This challenges previous assumptions that cultural shifts—such as changes in stone tool technology. Instead, the evidence now points to local innovation and internal development. These cultural adaptations occurred “without massive outside genetic input,” according to Earth.com, indicating that indigenous groups were responsible for the shifts seen in archaeological records.
A Delayed Arrival of Outside Influence
The first major disruption to this genetic continuity came only about 1,300 years ago, when pastoralism and farming began to appear in the region. Genetic traces from East African herders and West African farmers slowly entered the local gene pool, marking the beginning of a new phase of interaction. Over time, these outside influences blended with the local population, a process that intensified during later periods of trade and European colonization.
Some modern-day populations, such as the Khomani and Karretjiemense, still carry segments of DNA that link them directly to these ancient communities. In fact, Dr. Gretzinger noted that “some southern San in South Africa still preserve this ancient, Pleistocene-derived genetic signature.”
Culture Evolved from Within, Not Through Migration
The Oakhurst findings provide a rare look at a community that maintained its identity over thousands of years, even as its cultural practices evolved. Archaeologists had long interpreted changes in tool design and subsistence patterns as evidence of outside groups arriving and influencing the area. This new analysis flips that narrative.
Instead of migrants bringing in new technologies, local populations appear to have refined and adopted them independently. These insights reshape how scientists understand the resilience and adaptability of ancient communities in Southern Africa, especially compared to the frequent upheavals seen in Europe and Asia during similar time periods.
Tracing Ancient Links Through Modern DNA
Even today, many communities in southern Africa carry blended ancestries that include contributions from both indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Over centuries, colonization and trade introduced new genetic elements, complicating the ancestral picture. Yet, the recent DNA research helps scientists peel back those layers to reveal the enduring legacy of the region’s first inhabitants.
The study also draws parallels to other hunter-gatherer societies across Africa, which often contain ancient lineages that offer valuable insights into early human history. Researchers used advanced computational tools to track shared DNA segments across millennia, confirming the long-term continuity of these populations.
