Ulaanzuukh culture

The Ulaanzuukh culture, also Ulaanzuukh-Tevsh culture (Ch:乌兰朱和文化, c. 1450–1000 BCE),^[1] is an archaeological culture of the Late Bronze Age eastern Mongolia. It likely preceded and was the origin of the Slab-grave culture.^[2]

Ulaanzuukh culture

Geographical range	Mongolia
Period	Bronze Age, Iron Age
Dates	1450–1000 BC[1]
Preceded by	Ancient Northeast Asians
Followed by	Slab Grave culture

Genetic profile

Genetic profile of the Ulaanzuukh culture in southeast Mongolia, against the Deer stone culture in western and northern Mongolia.^[3]

The genetic profile of individuals belonging to this culture is virtually identical to the profile of Slab Grave culture individuals,^[4] which is consistent with the hypothesis that the Slab Grave culture emerged from the Ulaanzuukh.^[4] Genetically, the populations of the Ulaanzuukh culture were rather homogeneous, and part of the Ancient Northeast Asians (ANA).^[5][6] In a recent study, they have been shown to have a purely Northeast Asian profile (nearly 100% ANA), with one outlier having a western Altai_MLBA profile.^[3] The Ulaanzuukh culture was genetically distinct from the Deer stone culture, located in western and northern Mongolia.^[3]

The Ulaanzuukh and Slab Grave culture individuals cluster closely together and are collectively referred to as the "Ulaanzuukh_SlabGrave genetic cluster".^[5][6] The later Xiongnu are inferred to have formed via the merger of Eastern Saka (Chandman culture) and the local Ancient Northeast Asian, Ulaanzuukh-Slab Grave culture, which corresponds with the presence of both Iranian and Turkic languages among them.^[7] The analysis of the ancient genome of Empress Ashina, a ruler of the clan of the Göktürks, was shown to display close genetic affinities with the Slab Grave and Ulaanzuukh culture remains.^[8]

Influences

Ulaanzuukh-Tevsh burials () are located in the most arid parts of Mongolia, in the south, as far as the bend of the Yellow River.

Dagger with an animal head from Bayankhongor Province (Tevsh culture) and jingle-head knife from Zavkhan Province, Mongolia. These are "chance finds": they have not been directly related to Ulaanzuukh-Tevsh burials.^[9]

The Ulaanzuukh culture may have contributed to the transfer of the chariot and weapon technologies and designs to Shang dynasty China, which originated with the Deer stones culture of the Mongolian plateau.^[10] Daggers found in Ulaanzuukh graves have broadly similar designs to those of the Deer stones culture, with curved blades and pommels decorated with the heads of animals or with "jingles", which are key design elements adopted by the Shang dynasty for their weaponery.^[11]