Traces of an unknown ancient group of people have been discovered in the Himalayas

Around half of their ancestors were linked to the populations of South Asia, whilst the other half were linked to the ancient inhabitants of the Tibetan Plateau.

What was found in the cave

The remains of ten people were found in Old Lady Spider Cave in Ladakh. It is situated at an altitude of around 4,000 metres above sea level.

This region lies between South Asia, Tibet and Central Asia. In ancient times, trade routes passed through it, along which people and goods travelled.

First, the scientists determined the age of the bones, and then extracted DNA from them. The data obtained was compared with the genomes of ancient and modern people from various regions of Asia.

What was surprising about the ancient DNA

All the individuals from the cave were found to have a similar genetic makeup.

Around half of their ancestry was linked to ancient groups from South Asia, whilst the other half was linked to the population of the Tibetan Plateau.

Such an almost equal mix is rarely found today. Scientists therefore believe that the people from the cave represented a previously unknown ancient population group.

This is not a separate civilisation or a people with a known name. DNA allows us to determine people’s origins, but it does not tell us what they called themselves, what language they spoke or what their culture was like.

The scientists also attempted to determine when the ancestors of these people began to intermix.

When different groups intermingle, the segments of their DNA become shorter with each generation. By measuring the length of these segments, the researchers concluded that intermingling began around 2,800 years ago.

This occurred roughly 1,300 years before the people found in the cave lived.

However, the scientists emphasise that the interbreeding may not have taken place in Ladakh itself. The ancestors of this group may have migrated there from another region.

The ancient group has not disappeared entirely

The researchers found traces of a similar origin among some modern inhabitants of the Himalayas, including the Minaro and Balti peoples.

This suggests that the ancient group probably did not disappear without a trace. It contributed to the ancestry of the people living in the region today.

However, this refers to a shared genetic heritage, rather than a proven direct lineage between specific ancient and modern people.

Why this is important

Ancient DNA is rarely found in South Asia. The warm climate and humidity rapidly degrade genetic material, which is why the history of the region’s population is less well understood than, for example, that of the ancient inhabitants of Europe.

The new discovery shows that people from South Asia and the Tibetan Plateau began to intermix thousands of years ago. It also confirms that the high-altitude region of Ladakh has long been a crossroads for different population groups.

Limitations of the study

The researchers analysed the remains of only ten individuals from a single cave. Therefore, these data cannot be used to draw conclusions about the entire population of ancient Ladakh.

Nor does the study reveal the language, traditions or way of life of this group. It focuses primarily on the origins of these people and the connections between ancient populations.

Source

Study: Ancient genomes from Ladakh reveal 2,800-year-old admixture between Tibetans and South Asians.

Authors: Nick Patterson et al.

Journal: Science Advances (2026).