Did Iranian Neolithic Farmers Have Darker Pigmented Skin?

The question of the skin pigmentation of Iranian Neolithic farmers has sparked considerable debate among geneticists and historians. Traditional assumptions often place Neolithic Iranians in the lighter-skinned category, due to the influence of European genetics. However, modern genetic studies reveal a much more nuanced picture. Let's delve into the research and examine the evidence to determine the likely skin pigmentation of the Iranian Neolithic farmers.

Scientific Evidence Against Darker Pigmentation

Rather than having darker pigmented skin, it is highly unlikely that Iranian Neolithic farmers had significantly darker skin compared to modern Iranian peoples. A large 2019 genetic study conducted in Germany asserts that the gene pool of Iran has remained stable for at least the past 5,000 years, and possibly even 10,000 years. This indicates that the genetic makeup of Neolithic Iranians would be similar to that of their contemporary descendants.

According to genetic studies, the SLC24A5 111Thr allele, responsible for fair skin pigmentation, originated in Iran and later spread to regions such as Anatolia, Central Asia, and even Europe. This allele was present in early Neolithic populations in Iran, indicating that fair skin in these regions may have evolved from there. Further genetic markers like ASIP, which plays a role in skin pigmentation, provide additional insights into the skin tone of Neolithic Iranians.

Genetic Markers and Skin Tone

Genetic analysis reveals that Neolithic Iranians did not possess the same skin-lightening effects as Europeans. For instance, a 2016 study published in Nature examined a Neolithic girl from the Zagros Mountains. She lacked the derived SLC45A2 allele found almost fixed in modern Europeans, but had at least one copy of the derived variant in SLC24A5. This suggests that the light-skin allele had a presence but was not the dominant trait.

Another study analyzed five ancient DNA samples labeled as Iranian Neolithic farmers and found that they totally lacked the main skin-lightening derived alleles in genes like TYR, OCA2, MC1R, and SLC45A2. However, three out of four had the rs2424984 mutation in the ASIP gene and two out of three had the rs6058017 mutation also in ASIP, both associated with darker skin tones. The presence of mutations in SLC24A5, a gene strongly linked to skin pigmentation, further indicates a predominantly brown or moderately dark skin tone. Additionally, one out of three had a mutation for blue eyes in OCA2/HERC2, and four out of five had the important rs1426654 mutation in SLC24A5.

Modern Iranian Populations as Analogues

Genetic research suggests that modern Iranian populations, especially Zoroastrians, who are closely related to Neolithic farmers, have been found to carry the SLC24A5 111Thr allele. These Zoroastrians are medium-dark in skin color, having two out of the four known mutations for lighter skin in Europeans. This provides a strong basis for estimating the possible skin tones of Neolithic Iranians.

It is also worth noting that Iranian Neolithic farmers were likely not as Nordic as some historical depictions may suggest. Based on modern Persian appearances, which are typically brunette and olive skinned, it is reasonable to conclude that Neolithic Iranians were similar in appearance to their descendants, with moderate brown skin tones.

Conclusion

The genetic evidence overwhelmingly indicates that Iranian Neolithic farmers had skin tones within the broadly brown spectrum, with most individuals having a moderately dark skin tone. The presence of skin-lightening alleles was not as pronounced as in Northern European populations, suggesting a skin tone that was distinctly different from today's lighter-skinned populations. While we cannot specify the exact skin tone categorically, a fair estimate is that they looked similar to darker Balochi populations, with some variation within the brown spectrum.

With the advancements in genomics, our understanding of ancient skin tones continues to evolve. However, the consensus is that Iranian Neolithic farmers did not have significantly darker pigmented skin as often perceived, but rather a moderately dark to brown tone consistent with the genetic makeup of modern Iranian descendants.