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Abstract

Ancient DNA (aDNA) studies have deployed genetic material from archaeological contexts
to investigate human dispersals and interactions, corroborating some longstanding hypotheses and revealing
new aspects of human history. After drawing the broad genomic strokes of human history, geneticists have
discovered the exciting possibilities of applying this method to answer questions on a smaller scale. This
review provides an overview of the commonly used methods, both in the laboratory and the analyses,
and summarizes the current state of genomic research. It reviews human dispersals across the continents
and additionally highlights some studies that integrated genomics to answer questions beyond biology to
understand the cultural and societal traits of past societies. By shining a light from multiple angles, we gain
a much better understanding of the real shape of the human past.