China: People of the Good Earth
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What's included in this test?
- This test provides powerful, innovative, and interactive DNA-based tools to help you explore your early Neolithic ancestors of China, trace the origins of agriculture along river valleys and fertile plains, and uncover your genetic connections to the communities who cultivated the first fields of the Good Earth.
- Discover how closely you are related to China: People of the Good Earth (7,946–4,977 BC), individuals associated with early farming societies—sedentary villagers, early rice and millet cultivators, ceramic artisans, and community leaders whose lifeways marked the transition from foraging to agriculture across ancient China:
- Receive a detailed breakdown of your ancient geographical origins, interactive ancestry maps showing where your ancestors planted their first crops, built early settlements, crafted pottery, domesticated animals, and shaped the agricultural transformation that defined Neolithic China. You will also see your exact genetic similarity to each individual included in this early Neolithic dataset.
- Compare your DNA with over 50 worldwide ancient and modern populations.
- Journey back more than eight millennia to reconnect with the early farmers of East Asia—communities whose innovations in cultivation, settlement building, and resource management laid the foundations for later Chinese civilizations.
- Help us reconstruct the origins, diversity, and agricultural developments of early Neolithic China using the power of ancient DNA.
- Meet the People of the Good Earth — Before Kingdoms, Before Dynasties, this can be Your Story.
- Basic test includes 5 members.
- Advanced test includes 15 members. Best Deal: Unlock access to a broader collection of East Asian prehistoric DNA tests with our compendium: China: The pre-Han Era of the Ancestors
About the test
China: People of the Good Earth — Early Agriculturalists and Foragers of East Asia (7,946–4,977 BC)
Journey into the early Holocene, when warming climates reshaped the landscapes of East Asia and humanity shifted from mobile foraging to settled life. This test traces your genetic affinity to the ancient peoples who lived between roughly 7,946 and 4,977 BC—a pivotal era bridging the end of the Ice Age and the dawn of agriculture. These communities cultivated millet, foraged diverse environments, traveled mountain corridors, and formed the earliest cultural roots that later shaped East Asian civilization.
During this period, populations across East and Southeast Asia began experimenting with plant management, pottery production, and long-distance mobility—from the cold riverine forests of the Amur Basin to the fertile plains of the Yellow River, the subtropical caves of Guangxi, and the Himalayan foothills of Nepal. The individuals represented here illustrate the diversity of early Holocene lifeways: hunters, gatherers, proto-farmers, and coastal foragers who adapted to new ecological opportunities in a warming world.
Collected and reconstructed from:
Together, these individuals depict an extraordinarily diverse early Holocene landscape—from Himalayan valleys to northern tundra forests, subtropical caves, and the plains where Chinese agriculture would soon flourish. Their ancestries reveal the mosaic of lineages that converged to form the deep genetic heritage of East Asia during a time of ecological renewal and cultural innovation.
This test reveals:
Perfect for:
Your personalized report includes:
Discover your DNA from the People of the Good Earth—early foragers and proto-farmers whose ingenuity shaped the first chapters of East Asia’s human story.
Journey into the early Holocene, when warming climates reshaped the landscapes of East Asia and humanity shifted from mobile foraging to settled life. This test traces your genetic affinity to the ancient peoples who lived between roughly 7,946 and 4,977 BC—a pivotal era bridging the end of the Ice Age and the dawn of agriculture. These communities cultivated millet, foraged diverse environments, traveled mountain corridors, and formed the earliest cultural roots that later shaped East Asian civilization.
During this period, populations across East and Southeast Asia began experimenting with plant management, pottery production, and long-distance mobility—from the cold riverine forests of the Amur Basin to the fertile plains of the Yellow River, the subtropical caves of Guangxi, and the Himalayan foothills of Nepal. The individuals represented here illustrate the diversity of early Holocene lifeways: hunters, gatherers, proto-farmers, and coastal foragers who adapted to new ecological opportunities in a warming world.
Collected and reconstructed from:
- Kathmandu Valley, Nepal — Early Holocene mountain foragers living at the crossroads between the Tibetan Plateau and northern India. Individuals from Kathmandu preserve ancestry linked to highland ecologies, early Himalayan mobility, and ancient routes that later connected South and East Asia.
- Amur River Basin (Northeast China / Russian Far East) — A series of Mesolithic and early Neolithic populations inhabiting cold forests and river valleys. Their ancestry reflects northern East Asian continuity and links to the deep Paleolithic populations who contributed to later Tungusic, Mongolic, and even Native American lineages.
- Shandong, Boshan Mountain — One of the earliest cultural centers in northern China. Individuals from this region capture early Holocene foragers experimenting with plant use along the foothills facing the Yellow Sea—ancestors who contributed to the earliest agricultural transitions on the North China Plain.
- Guangxi, Dushan — A subtropical cave context associated with early pottery-making and foraging communities in South China. These individuals highlight deep southern East Asian ancestry, which would later form the genetic backbone of many Austronesian and Tai-Kadai groups.
- Guangxi, Chongzuo City — Baojianshan Cave A (Longzhou County) — A limestone cave inhabited during the early Holocene by groups with a rich foraging tradition. Their genomes preserve signatures typical of southern hunter-gatherers with connections to Southeast Asia and coastal migration routes.
- Matsu — Liang Island — A maritime forager site on the Taiwan Strait. Individuals here reflect the earliest populations navigating the coasts and islands of the western Pacific, forming a bridge between mainland East Asia and the future Austronesian expansion.
- Inner Mongolia, Hulunbuir — Zhalainuoer mining site — Northern steppe foragers adapting to grassland environments. These individuals capture ancient connections across the Mongolic corridor and illustrate the diversity of early Holocene North Asian populations.
- Inner Mongolia — Wuqi Farm site (Zhalainuoer district) — A related northern population reflecting pastoral precursors and early steppe foraging traditions that would later influence prehistoric Mongolia and Siberia.
- Henan Province, Lingbao City — Xiaowu site — An early Yellow River basin community associated with proto-agricultural lifeways. The Xiaowu individuals represent some of the earliest groups experimenting with millet cultivation, pottery, and long-term settlement—foundations for the later rise of Yangshao and Henan-based Neolithic cultures.
Together, these individuals depict an extraordinarily diverse early Holocene landscape—from Himalayan valleys to northern tundra forests, subtropical caves, and the plains where Chinese agriculture would soon flourish. Their ancestries reveal the mosaic of lineages that converged to form the deep genetic heritage of East Asia during a time of ecological renewal and cultural innovation.
This test reveals:
- The genetic structure of early Holocene foragers and proto-farmers across East Asia
- North–south population diversity during the origins of agriculture
- Links between Himalayan, North Asian, and South Chinese ancestral groups
- The demographic foundations preceding the rise of Yellow River and Yangtze Neolithic cultures
Perfect for:
- Individuals with East Asian or Himalayan ancestry interested in deep-time origins
- Enthusiasts of early agriculture, pottery traditions, and Holocene archaeology
- Anyone curious about the ancient populations who first shaped the ecological and cultural landscapes of China
Your personalized report includes:
- Direct comparison to early Holocene individuals from Nepal, northern China, southern China, Inner Mongolia, and coastal East Asia
- mtDNA and Y-DNA haplogroups associated with the earliest East Asian human populations
- A breakdown of your affinity to northern hunter-gatherers, southern cave foragers, coastal islanders, and proto-agricultural Yellow River groups
- Archaeological context detailing early cultivation, pottery emergence, migration pathways, and Holocene climate adaptation
Discover your DNA from the People of the Good Earth—early foragers and proto-farmers whose ingenuity shaped the first chapters of East Asia’s human story.
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Why take this test
Up until 2010, reading the DNA of ancient people was a dream. Since then, the DNA of a Neanderthal who lived over 30,000 years ago has been sequenced. After that reading, the DNA of ancient people who lived from 15,000 BC to 1,800 AD all over the world became the main object of paleogenomic research. This leap forward in technology allowed the creation of a new type of DNA test — tests that do not use modern-day populations as stand-ins for the ancient tribes but rather go right to the source and study these ancient peoples themselves.
The Ancient DNA Hub DNA test is the first next-generation DNA test. It is designed solely using the DNA of ancient people throughout history using our novel technologies.
With this test, you will receive a precise ancient ethnicity estimate with far greater geographical details than you could imagine. You will make new connections with historical people and places where your ancestors lived, walked, battled, created, and dreamed thousands of years ago. Using genetic data and evidence from history and archeology, we can revive the past and allow you to take part in this story at the most personal level.
The Ancient DNA Hub DNA test is the first next-generation DNA test. It is designed solely using the DNA of ancient people throughout history using our novel technologies.
With this test, you will receive a precise ancient ethnicity estimate with far greater geographical details than you could imagine. You will make new connections with historical people and places where your ancestors lived, walked, battled, created, and dreamed thousands of years ago. Using genetic data and evidence from history and archeology, we can revive the past and allow you to take part in this story at the most personal level.
