The first nations on earth. The most ancient people: name, history of origin, culture and religion

This version was replicated by the early medieval Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi. For the early Armenian settlements, he took the ruins of the state of Urartru in the area of Lake Van. Today's official version says that the proto-Armenian tribes - the Mushki and the Urumians came to these territories in the second quarter of the 12th century. BC e., even before the formation of the Urartian state, after the destruction of the Hittite state by them. Here they mixed with the local tribes of the Hurrians, Urartians and Luvians.

As the historian Boris Piotrovsky believes, the beginnings of the Armenian statehood should be sought in the time of the Hurrian kingdom of Arme-Shubria, known since the 1200s BC.

Jews (II-I millennium BC)

The Jews trace their origin from Abraham (XXI-XX centuries BC), who himself came from the Sumerian city of Ur in Ancient Mesopotamia.

Together with his father, he moved to Canaan, where later his descendants seized the lands of local peoples (according to legend, the descendants of the son of Noah - Ham) and called Canaan "the land of Israel." According to another version, the Jewish people were formed during the Exodus from Egypt.

If we take the linguistic version of the origin of the Jews, then they stood out from the Western Semitic-speaking group in the 2nd millennium BC. e. Their closest "brothers in language" are the Amorites and the Phoenicians. Recently, a "genetic version" of the origin of the Jewish people has also appeared. According to her, the three main groups of Jews - Ashkenazi (America - Europe), Mizrahim (countries of the Middle East and North Africa) and Sephardim (Iberian Peninsula) have similar genetics, which confirms their common roots. According to the study "Abraham's Children in the Genome Era", the ancestors of all three groups appeared in Mesopotamia. 2500 years ago (approximately the period of the reign of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar), they split into two groups, one of which went to Europe and North Africa, the other settled in the Middle East.

Ethiopians (III millennium BC)

Ethiopia belongs to the East African, the most ancient area of the origin of mankind. Its mythological history begins with the legendary country of Punt (“Land of the Gods”), which the ancient Egyptians considered their ancestral home. Mentions of it are found in Egyptian sources of the III millennium BC. n. e. However, if the location, as well as the existence of this legendary country, is a moot point, then the Nubian kingdom of Kush in the Nile Delta was a very real neighbor of Ancient Egypt, which more than once called the existence of the latter into question. Despite the fact that the heyday of the Kushite kingdom fell on 300 BC. - 300 AD, civilization originated here much earlier, as early as 2400 BC. along with the first Nubian kingdom of Kerma.

For some time, Ethiopia was a colony of the ancient Sabaean kingdom (Sheba), whose ruler was the legendary Queen of Sheba. Hence the legend of the "Solomonic dynasty", which claims that the Ethiopian kings are the direct descendants of Solomon and the Ethiopian Makeda (the Ethiopian name for the Queen of Sheba).

Assyrians (IV-III millennium BC)

Modern Assyrians consider themselves the direct descendants of the population of Northern Mesopotamia, although this is a controversial fact in the scientific community. Some researchers support this point of view, some call the current Assyrians the descendants of the Arameans.

Chinese (4500-2500 BC)

The Chinese people or Han make up 19% of the world's population today. It originated on the basis of Neolithic cultures that developed in the 5th-3rd millennia BC. in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, in one of the centers of world civilizations. This is confirmed by both archeology and linguistics. The latter allocates them to the Sino-Tibetan group of languages, which emerged in the middle of the 5th millennium BC. Subsequently, numerous tribes of the Mongoloid race, who spoke Tibetan, Indonesian, Thai, Altaic and other languages, very different in culture, took part in the further formation of the Han. The history of the Han people is closely connected with the history of China, and to this day, they make up the bulk of the population of the country.

Basques (possibly XIV-X millennium BC)

The Basque language - Euskara, is considered the only relic pre-Indo-European language that does not belong to any existing language family. As for genetics, according to a 2012 study by the National Geographic Society, all Basques contain a set of genes that significantly distinguish them from other peoples around them. According to scientists, this speaks in favor of the opinion that the proto-Basques emerged as a separate culture 16 thousand years ago, during the Paleolithic.

Khoisan peoples (100 thousand years ago)

A recent discovery by scientists has given the first place on the list of ancient peoples to the Khoisan, a group of South African peoples who speak so-called "clicking languages". These include, including hunters - Bushmen and cattle breeders of the Hogenttots.

A group of geneticists from Sweden found that they separated from the common tree of mankind 100 thousand years ago, that is, even before the start of the exodus from Africa and the settlement of people around the world.

Approximately 43,000 years ago, the Khoisans split into a southern and a northern group. According to the researchers, part of the Khoisan population has retained its ancient roots, some, like the Khwe tribe, interbred for a long time with the newcomer Bantu peoples and lost their genetic identity.

Khoisan DNA is different from the genes of the rest of the peoples of the world. “Relic” genes were found in it, responsible for increased muscle strength and endurance, as well as for high vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation.

The ancient world was inhabited by a large number of peoples who influenced the formation of later civilizations. Many of them have disappeared, but the culture they created makes us remember them to this day.

The Achaeans were at the origins of the Ancient Greek civilization. In the Iliad, Homer calls all the Greeks of the Peloponnese peninsula Achaeans. Historians disagree on how the Achaeans appeared in Greece. According to some, they originally lived on the banks of the Danube, others say that they came from the Northern Black Sea region. Having settled in Crete, the Achaeans became the founders of the Mycenaean civilization. The Mycenaean palaces discovered by archaeologists were fundamentally different from those that existed on the island before: they were real citadels. Apparently, the Achaeans were quite a warlike people - they not only expanded into neighboring states, but also fought among themselves. In the XV-XIII centuries BC. e. Achaean states reach their peak. Having created a powerful fleet, the Achaeans begin an active colonization of Asia Minor and Southern Italy. Achaean sailors deployed a wide trade network throughout the Mediterranean, which, however, did not prevent them from piracy.

According to the Aztec legends, the Olmecs are the first civilized people of Central America. From about 1500 B.C. e. The Olmecs settled on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and occupied the territory of the modern states of Veracruz and Tabasco. In 1902, a Mexican farmer accidentally stumbled upon a jade figurine depicting a masked priest with a duck's beak in a field. Having studied the find, the experts were very surprised: Maya writings were found on it, but the dating of the figurine turned out to be noticeably older, and the place of its discovery was much further than is typical for Mayan culture artifacts. This issue was taken up by the American archaeologist George Vaillant. He perfectly knew the culture of the ancient peoples of Mexico - the Aztecs, Toltecs, Zapotecs, Maya, but none of these cultures could be the author of elegant jade figures. Then the scientist decided to check the ancient legends about the "inhabitants of the country of rubber", and indeed - all archaeological finds exactly corresponded to the habitat of the Olmecs. So, in 1932, the ghost people found its place in history.

Tall and swarthy people - "foinikes" (purple), as the Greeks called the Phoenicians - lived on the territory of modern Lebanon and, according to Herodotus, came there from northwestern Arabia. Modern geneticists point to the kinship of the Phoenicians with the peoples of the Caucasus. The Greeks in enthusiastic tones described the richest, vibrant Phoenician cities. Everything that existed in the ancient world could be bought there: from exotic fruits to luxurious vases, from jewelry to works of art. Judging by historical documents, the Phoenicians were the first to circumnavigate the African continent. Having a powerful fleet, superior in quality and quantity to the ships of neighboring countries, the Phoenicians, in fact, became a trading monopoly in the Mediterranean region. Moreover, Phoenicia very quickly turned into a powerful colonial power, however, unlike European states, the Phoenicians did not wage wars of conquest, but settled exclusively in coastal regions for convenient trade. The Phoenicians are no less famous for abandoning the cumbersome Akkadian cuneiform script and creating their own linear script. The alphabet that arose from linear writing became the basis for the writing of European and a significant part of the eastern peoples.

The Philistines are the most mysterious people in the Biblical Canaan, which is fundamentally different from the Semitic population of this region. The Bible says that this people comes from the island of Kaphtor - from modern Hebrew it is translated as Crete. Egyptian manuscripts testify to the Cretan origins of the Philistines. However, some scientists identify the Philistines with the Pelasgians, who, according to one version, are an Indo-European people. However, the Cretan-Mycenaean origin of the Philistines is confirmed by modern archaeological finds. According to archaeologists, the layer of material culture of the Philistines is completely different from the Canaanite. Philistine pottery and weapons are much more similar to the Cretan-Mycenaean artifacts. Around 1080 B.C. e. the expansion of the Philistines deep into the country begins, subordinating the ancient Hebrew cities. Only 75 years later, the Philistine hegemony was ended by King David. Since that time, the Philistines are gradually assimilated with the Semitic tribes, and soon only a name remains of a powerful people.

For a long time history was silent about the Sumerians. Neither the Greeks, nor the Romans, nor the older civilizations report anything about them. Only in the middle of the 19th century, scientists proved that there was a state in Mesopotamia, whose age reaches 6 thousand years. It was from him that Babylon and Assyria inherited their culture. The Sumerians proved to be pioneers in many areas. They pioneered the writing system known as cuneiform and pioneered modern libraries. It is the Sumerians who are the authors of the earliest literary works that have come down to us. Sumer owns the oldest medical text: it is safe to say that this is the first pharmacopoeia in the history of mankind containing a description of drugs. In Sumerian medical reference books, one can find information not only about therapeutic methods of treatment, but also details of surgical intervention, such as amputation of limbs or removal of cataracts. The inhabitants of Ancient Sumer learned how to make bronze, and with the ratio of copper and tin, which are still used today. The Sumerians had a much more extensive understanding of petroleum products than subsequent civilizations. And the knowledge of the Sumerians in mathematics and astronomy still amaze us.

The ancient people of the Etruscans suddenly appeared in human history, but also suddenly disappeared into it. According to archaeologists, the Etruscans inhabited the northwestern part of the Apennine Peninsula and created a fairly developed civilization there. The Etruscans influenced the culture of Ancient Rome in many ways: arched vaults, gladiator fights, chariot races, funeral rites - this is an incomplete list of what Rome inherited from its predecessors. Moreover, historians argue that Roman numerals should rightfully be called Etruscan. It was the Etruscans who founded the first cities in Italy. There are several hypotheses about the fate of the Etruscans. According to one of them, the Etruscans moved to the east and became the ancestors of the Slavic ethnic group. Some scholars argue that the Etruscan language is very close to Slavic in its structure.

It has been fashionable at all times to "lengthen" one's history. Therefore, each nation strives to demonstrate its ancestry, starting from the ancient world, and even better, from the Stone Age. But there are peoples whose antiquity is beyond doubt.

Armenians (II millennium BC)

As the historian Boris Piotrovsky believes, the beginnings of the Armenian statehood should be sought in the time of the Hurrian kingdom of Arme-Shubria, known since the 1200s BC.

Jews (II-I millennium BC)

Jews trace their origin from Abraham (XXI-XX centuries BC), who himself came from the Sumerian city of Ur in Ancient Mesopotamia.

If we take the linguistic version of the origin of the Jews, then they stood out from the Western Semitic-speaking group in the 2nd millennium BC. e. Their closest "brothers in language" are the Amorites and the Phoenicians. Recently, a "genetic version" of the origin of the Jewish people has also appeared. According to her, the three main groups of Jews - Ashkenazi (America - Europe), Mizrahim (countries of the Middle East and North Africa) and Sephardim (Iberian Peninsula) have similar genetics, which confirms their common roots. According to Abraham's Children in the Genome Era, the ancestors of all three groups appeared in Mesopotamia. 2500 years ago (approximately the period of the reign of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar), they split into two groups, one of which went to Europe and North Africa, the other settled in the Middle East.

Ethiopians (III millennium BC)

Assyrians (IV-III millennium BC)

Chinese (4500-2500 BC)

Basques (possibly XIV-X millennium BC)

Khoisan peoples (100 thousand years ago)

In the process of historical development, entire states and peoples appeared and disappeared. Some of them still exist, others have disappeared from the face of the Earth forever. One of the most controversial issues is which of the peoples is the most ancient in the world. Many nationalities claim this title, but none of the sciences can give an exact answer.

There are a number of assumptions that allow us to consider some peoples of the world as the most ancient of those living on our planet today. Opinions on this matter vary depending on what sources historians rely on, what territory they explore and what their origins are. This gives rise to many versions. Some of the scientists believe that the Russians are the most ancient people on earth, whose origins go back to the Iron Age.

Khoisan people

The African inhabitants, called the Khoisan people, are considered the most ancient race in the world. They were recognized as such after a genetic study.

Scientists have found that the DNA of the San people, as they are also called, is the most abundant of any other group.

The people who lived as hunter-gatherers for millennia are the direct ancestors of the early modern inhabitants who migrated from the continent. In this way they spread their DNA outside of South Africa, they are believed to be the most ancient people in the world.

A study by the University of Pennsylvania found that all populations were descended from 14 ancient African lineages.

The first humans appeared in southern Africa, probably near the border between South Africa and Namibia, and there are more genetic changes on the continent today than anywhere else on Earth.

Distribution of the Khoisan people

The researchers found that these nationalities, as independent ones, began to form 100 thousand years before the beginning of a new era, before humanity began its journey from Africa around the world.

If such information can be trusted, then about 43,000 years ago the Khoisans were divided into southern and northern groups, some of them retained their national identity, others mixed with neighboring tribes and lost their genetic identity. In the DNA of the Khoisans, "relic" genes were found that provide increased physical strength and endurance, as well as a high degree of vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation.

Initially, the differences between early pastoralists, farmers, and hunter-gatherers were not overwhelming, and different groups coexisted in many areas. The first evidence of the emergence of pastoralism is found in the more arid west of the continent. There were found bones of sheep and goats, stone tools and pottery. It is with the origins of these communities, and their evolution into modern societies in South Africa, that the history of the continent is connected.

Khoisan culture

The Khoisan languages originated from one of the hunter-gatherer languages of northern Botswana.

According to data obtained during archaeological excavations, pastures and ceramics in this culture appeared at the end of the first millennium BC. appeared somewhat later. The iron farmers lived in western Zimbabwe or northeastern South Africa. The loosely organized shepherds expanded rapidly, driven by their need for new pastures. Along with pastoralism and pottery, there were other signs of change: domestic dogs, advances in stone-working tools, new settlement patterns, some finds pointing to the development of long-distance trade.

Life of an ancient African people

Most of South Africa's early agricultural communities share a common culture that has spread significantly throughout the region since the 2nd century CE. e. Around the middle of the 1st millennium A.D. e. rural communities lived in relatively large, semi-populated villages. They grew sorghum, millet, and legumes, and raised sheep, goats, and cattle. Made pottery and made iron tools.

The established relationship between hunters, herders and farmers during more than 2,000 years of socio-economic change has varied from general resistance to assimilation. For the indigenous peoples of South Africa, the boundaries between different livelihoods presented new dangers and opportunities. As the new culture spread, larger, more successful farming communities were created. In many areas, the new way of life was adopted by hunter-gatherers.

Basques

Trying to answer the question of which people are the most ancient, scientists have been studying the Basque people. The origin of the tribes of northern Spain and southwestern France is one of the strangest anthropological mysteries. Their language is unrelated to any other in the world, and their DNA has a unique genetic makeup.

This is a territory in northern Spain, bordering the Bay of Biscay in the north, the French Basque regions in the northeast and the regions of Navarre, La Rioja, Castile, Leon and Cantabria.

Now they are part of Spain, but at one time the inhabitants of the Basque Country (as we know it today) were part of an independent nation known as the Kingdom of Navarre, which existed from the 9th to the 16th century.

Research has shown that Basque genetic features differ from those of their neighbors. For example, Spaniards have been shown to have North African DNA while Basques do not.

Basque Features

Another example is their language - Euskera. Both French and Spanish (and virtually every other European language) are Indo-European, descendants of a single prehistoric dialect once spoken during the Neolithic. However, the Basque language is not one of them. In fact, Euskera is one of the oldest known dialects and is not related to any other language spoken in the world today.

The Basque Country is surrounded by the sea and a wild rocky coastline on one side and high mountains on the other. Because of this landscape, the Basque territory remained isolated for millennia, it was very difficult to conquer, and therefore it was not affected by migration.

New research shows that the Basques descended from early hunter-gatherers from the Middle East who lived about 7,000 years ago and mixed with the local population before becoming completely isolated.

All this suggests that the Basques are one of the earliest human inhabitants of Europe. They arrived before the Celts and before the spread of Indo-European languages and Iron Age migrations. Some believe that they may indeed be related to Paleolithic Europeans during the Early Stone Age.

Chinese

The Han people belong to the largest ethnic group in China, with about 90% of the people in the mainland being Han people. Today they make up 19% of the world's population. This is the most Asian. The emergence of this nation occurred during the development of Neolithic cultures, the formation of which took place in the V-III millennium BC. e.

The Han people flourished in China for a long time, and more and more people gradually settled around the world. Now they can be found in Macau, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Japan, Laos, India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Russia, USA, Canada, Peru, France and England. Almost one in five people on our planet is ethnically Han Chinese, although most of them live in the People's Republic of China.

Historical role

Previously, the Han people ruled and influenced China during the Han Dynasty starting from 206 BC. Art and science flourished during this time, often referred to as the Golden Age of the country. The period in which Buddhism emerged saw the spread of Confucianism and Taoism, and also gave impetus to the development of Chinese characters in writing. In addition, this was the beginning of the creation of the Silk Road, an era in which trade was established between China and many countries far to the west. The first state emperor Huangdi, also called the Yellow Emperor, who unified the country, is considered the ancestor of the Han. Huangdi ruled the Hua Xia tribe that lived on the Yellow River, thus he received the corresponding title. This area and the waters flowing here are considered by the Han Dynasty as the cradle of their civilization, from where the Han culture began and then spread everywhere.

Language, religion and culture

Hanyu was the language of this people, later it turned into an early version of Mandarin Chinese. It was also used as a link between many local languages. Folk religion played a significant role in the life of the Han people. Worship of the images of Chinese mythology and the ancestors of the clan was closely associated with Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.

China's golden age in times brought a revival of national literature, philosophy and art. Fireworks, rockets, gunpowder, crossbows, cannons, and matches are the main inventions of the early Han Chinese, which spread throughout the world. Paper, printing, paper money, porcelain, silk, lacquer, compass and earthquake detectors were also developed by them. The Ming Dynasty, ruled by the Han, contributed to the construction of the Great Wall of China, which was started by the first Emperor Huang Di. The terracotta army of the ruler is one of the most famous masterpieces of the culture of this people.

The oldest people in Egypt

Egypt is located in North Africa. One of the most ancient civilizations appeared on this earth. The origin of the name of the state is connected with the word Aegyptos, which was the Greek version of the ancient Egyptian name Hwt-Ka-Ptah ("Mansion of the Spirit of Ptah"), the original name of the city of Memphis, the first capital of Egypt, a major religious and commercial center.

The ancient Egyptians themselves knew their country as Kemet, or the Black Land. This name comes from the fertile, dark soil on the banks of the Nile, where the first settlements were formed. Then the state became known as Misr, which means "country", it is still used by the Egyptians today.

The peak of Egypt's prosperity occurred in the middle of the dynastic period (from 3000 to 1000 BC). Its inhabitants have reached great heights in art, science, technology and religion.

Egyptian culture

Egyptian culture, which celebrates the greatness of the human experience, is one of the most popular. Their great tombs, temples and works of art exalt life and constantly remind of the past.

For the Egyptians, existence on earth was just one aspect of the eternal journey. The soul was immortal and only temporarily occupied the body. After the interruption of life on earth, you can get to the court in the Hall of Truth and, possibly, to paradise, which was considered a mirror reflection of being on our planet.

The first evidence of mass grazing on the land of Egypt dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. e. This, as well as the discovered artifacts, indicates a civilization that flourished in the region at that time.

The development of agriculture began in the 5th millennium BC. e. Communities belonging to the Badarian culture arose along the banks of the river. The development of industry took place at about the same time, as evidenced by the faience trade at Abydos. Badarian was followed by the Amratian, Hercerian, and Naqada cultures (also known as Naqada I, Naqada II, and Naqada III), all of which greatly influenced the development of what would become Egyptian civilization. Written history begins between 3400 and 3200 BC. during the Nakada III culture era. In 3500 B.C. e. mummification of the dead began to be practiced.

Armenians

The territory of the Caucasus includes the lands that are part of some modern states: Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey.

Armenians are considered one of the most ancient peoples of the Caucasus. For a long time it was believed that from the legendary king Hayk, who came from Mesopotamia in 2492 BC. e. to the territory of Van. It was he who defined the borders of the new state around Mount Ararat, he is considered the founder of the Armenian kingdom. According to scientists, the very name of the Armenians “hai” comes from the name of this ruler. One of the researchers believed that the ruins of the Uratru state were an early Armenian settlement. However, according to the current official version, the Mushki and Urumeans, who appeared in the second quarter of the 12th century BC, are the proto-Armenian tribes. e., before the state of Urartu was formed. Here there was a mixture with the Hurrians, Urartians and Luvians. Most likely, the Armenian statehood was formed during the period of the Hurrian kingdom of Arme-Shubria, which arose in 1200 BC. e.

History holds many secrets and mysteries, and even the most modern research methods cannot find an exact answer to the question - which of the living peoples are the most ancient?

Armenians (II millennium BC)

Among the most ancient peoples of the world, Armenians are perhaps the youngest. However, there are many white spots in their ethnogenesis. For a long time, until the end of the 19th century, the canonical version of the origin of the Armenian people was their origin from the legendary king Hayk, who came from Mesopotamia in 2492 BC to the territory of Van. He was the first to outline the borders of the new state around Mount Ararat and became the founder of the Armenian kingdom. It is believed that it is from his name that the self-name of the Armenians “hai” comes. This version was replicated by the early medieval Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi. For the early Armenian settlements, he took the ruins of the state of Urartru in the area of Lake Van. Today's official version says that the proto-Armenian tribes - the Mushki and the Urumians came to these territories in the second quarter of the 12th century. BC e., even before the formation of the Urartian state, after the destruction of the Hittite state by them. Here they mixed with the local tribes of the Hurrians, Urartians and Luvians. As the historian Boris Piotrovsky believes, the beginnings of the Armenian statehood should be sought in the time of the Hurrian kingdom of Arme-Shubria, known since the 1200s BC.

Jews (II-I millennium BC)

There are even more mysteries with the history of the Jewish people than with the history of Armenia. For a long time it was believed that the concept of "Jews" is more cultural than ethnic. That is, that "Jews" were created by Judaism, and not vice versa. In science, there are still fierce discussions about what the Jews originally were - a people, a social stratum, a religious denomination. If you believe the main source on the ancient history of the Jewish people - the Old Testament, the Jews trace their origin from Abraham (XXI-XX centuries BC), who himself came from the Sumerian city of Ur in Ancient Mesopotamia. Together with his father, he moved to Canaan, where later his descendants seized the lands of the local peoples (according to legend, the descendants of the son of Noah - Ham) and called Canaan "the land of Israel." According to another version, the Jewish people were formed during the Exodus from Egypt. If we take the linguistic version of the origin of the Jews, then they stood out from the Western Semitic-speaking group in the 2nd millennium BC. e. Their closest “brothers in language” are the Amorites and the Phoenicians. Recently, a "genetic version" of the origin of the Jewish people has also appeared. According to her, the three main groups of Jews - Ashkenazi (America - Europe), Mizrahim (countries of the Middle East and North Africa) and Sephardim (Iberian Peninsula) have similar genetics, which confirms their common roots. According to Abraham's Children in the Genome Era, the ancestors of all three groups appeared in Mesopotamia. 2500 years ago (approximately the period of the reign of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar), they split into two groups, one of which went to Europe and North Africa, the other settled in the Middle East.

Ethiopians (III millennium BC)

Assyrians (IV-III millennium BC)

If the Jews came from the western group of Semitic tribes, then the Assyrians belonged to the northern. By the end of the 3rd millennium BC, they prevailed in the territory of Northern Mesopotamia, but, according to the historian Sadaev, their separation could have happened even earlier - in the 4th millennium BC. The Assyrian Empire, which existed from the 8th-6th centuries BC, is considered the first empire in the history of mankind. Modern Assyrians consider themselves the direct descendants of the population of Northern Mesopotamia, although this is a controversial fact in the scientific community. Some researchers support this point of view, some call the current Assyrians the descendants of the Arameans.

Chinese (4500-2500 BC)

Basques (possibly XIV-X millennium BC)

A long time ago, in the 4th millennium BC, the migration of Indo-Europeans began, who settled most of Eurasia. Today, the languages of the Indo-European family are spoken by almost all the peoples of modern Europe. All, except for the Euskadi, are more familiar to us by the name "Basques". Their age, origin and language are some of the main mysteries of modern history. Someone believes that the ancestors of the Basques were the first population of Europe, someone says that they had a common homeland with the Caucasian peoples. But be that as it may, the Basques are considered to be one of the oldest populations in Europe. The Basque language - Euskara, is considered the only relict pre-Indo-European language that does not belong to any existing language family. As for genetics, according to a 2012 study by the National Geographic Society, all Basques contain a set of genes that significantly distinguish them from other peoples around them. According to scientists, this speaks in favor of the opinion that the proto-Basques emerged as a separate culture 16 thousand years ago, during the Paleolithic.

Khoisan peoples (100 thousand years ago)

A recent discovery by scientists has given the top spot on the list of ancient peoples to the Khoisan, a group of South African peoples who speak so-called "clicking languages". These include, among others, bushmen hunters and Hogenttot herders. A group of geneticists from Sweden found that they separated from the common tree of mankind 100 thousand years ago, that is, even before the start of the exodus from Africa and the settlement of people around the world. Approximately 43,000 years ago, the Khoisans split into a southern and a northern group. According to the researchers, part of the Khoisan population has retained its ancient roots, some, like the Khwe tribe, interbred for a long time with the newcomer Bantu peoples and lost their genetic identity. Khoisan DNA is different from the genes of the rest of the peoples of the world. “Relic” genes were found in it, responsible for increased muscle strength and endurance, as well as for high vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation.