Uncovering the Secrets of China's Great Wall through Ancient DNA.

Ancient DNA evidence from two cemeteries in Mongolia sheds light on the Xiongnu empire, a multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual empire that dominated the Asian steppes for three centuries from 200 BC. The genetic diversity found within individual communities suggests that the empire wasn't just a patchwork of homogenous groups united by a common cause. The graves of elite women contained the most prestigious items, indicating their powerful role in Xiongnu society. The Xiongnu left a powerful legacy that inspired later nomadic regimes such as the Mongols and Genghis Khan.