Atlantic Neolithic France

The France_N assemblage spans the heart of the European Neolithic: between roughly 5300 and 2100 BCE, farming communities established permanent settlements along river valleys, coasts, and cave sites. Archaeological contexts include coastal necropolises at Port Blanc (Quiberon, Morbihan), cave burials at Grotte du Gazel (Languedoc), and open‑air cemetery and settlement deposits at Gurgy Les Noisats (Yonne). Material culture—ceramics, polished stone axes, and domestic assemblages—places these groups in the broader wave of early farming that spread from Anatolia into western Europe.

Genomic patterns from 107 individuals link these populations to the Anatolian-derived early farmer genetic package known elsewhere in Neolithic Europe, while archaeological stratigraphy and isotopic data indicate local adaptation to rivers, estuaries, and coastal resources. Limited evidence points to regional variation: coastal sites show marine resource use and distinctive burial arrangements, whereas inland sites like Gurgy record denser settlement and long‑term landscape transformation.

Archaeological data indicates a gradual process of demographic change rather than a single sweeping replacement: the archaeological record and ancient DNA together suggest migration of farming groups followed by varying degrees of integration with indigenous Mesolithic foragers. Chronological resolution across 3,200 years shows continuity in some traditions and innovation in others, reflecting a dynamic cultural horizon rather than monolithic identity.

The France_N dataset of 107 genomes offers a robust window into Neolithic population structure in western and southern France. Genome-wide ancestry profiles are consistent with the Anatolian Neolithic farmer signature that spread into Europe during the 6th millennium BCE, combined with variable western hunter‑gatherer (WHG) ancestry that increases in some later individuals. These admixture patterns align with archaeological evidence for migration followed by local interaction.

Uniparental markers provide finer detail: Y‑chromosome haplogroup G is dominant (50 of the male-assigned samples), a lineage frequently associated with early European farmers. Smaller counts of haplogroup H (6) and a single BT reflect additional paternal diversity; BT may represent back‑migrating or unassigned lineages and should be interpreted cautiously. Mitochondrial diversity is high: K is the most common mtDNA clade (29 individuals), with substantial representation of H and its subclade H1 (15 each), J (14), and U (10). These maternal lineages are typical of Neolithic and post‑Neolithic Europe and show continuity with broader continental patterns.

Because the total sample count is 107, population-level inferences are relatively well supported compared with small pilot studies; still, regional substructure and temporal change mean some fine-scale conclusions remain tentative. Archaeogenetic signals here underscore a story of demographic movement, local admixture, and evolving community dynamics across three millennia.