The Circassians and the Maikop culture (c. 3700–3000 BCE)

Мыекъуапэ культурэр е Мыекъопэ культурэр (Урысыбзэ: майкоп, [mɐjˈkop], щӀэныгъэ транслитерацэкӀэ: Majkop,), ди эрэ ипэкӀэ 3700–3000 гъэхэм, Жэз лъэхъэнэм щыщ археологие культурэшхуэщ Кавказ Ищхъэрэ-КъухьэпӀэ щӀыналъэм. Ар Керч псыдэкӀыпӀэм деж щыӀэ Тэмэн хытӀыгуныкъуэм щегъэжьауэ иджырей Дагъыстэн гъунапкъэм пэгъунэгъуу щыухыху, ипщэкӀэ КӀуэрэ псым нэс къеубыд. Культурэм и цӀэр къызытекӀар пащтыхь щӀалэ зэрыщӀалъхьауэ щыта Мыекъуапэ Ӏуащхьэщ, Псыжь и тӀуащӀэм щыӀэу. 2018 гъэм къыдагъэкӀа пасэрей ДНК-м теухуа генетикэ къэхутэныгъэхэм къызэрагъэлъагъуэмкӀэ, Мыекъуапэ цӀыхухэр къызытекӀар ипщэкӀэщ, Имеретищ, я къызытехъукӀар Кавказым и ищхъэрэ лъэныкъуэр япэу зыубыдауэ щыта, жэз-мыжьагъуэ лъэхъэнэм щыпсэуа, Дарквети-Мэшъэкъуэ цӀэкӀэ зэджэу щыта мэкъумэшыщӀэхэращ. Аращи, Мыекъуапэр "Кавказ Ищхъэрэ-КъухьэпӀэ бзэ унагъуэм и къызэгъэпэща

Адыгэхэмрэ Мыекъуапэ культурэмрэ (ди лъэхъэнэ ипэкӀэ 3700–3000-рэ илъэсхэм) генетикэу ыкӀи чӀыпӀэу зэпхыгъэх, Темыр-КъохьапӀэ Кавказым щыпсэурэ лъэпкъхэм, джырэ адыгэхэм (Адыгэхэм) япэшӀуекӀуагъэхэм ащыщэу Мыекъуапэ культурэр зыхэтыгъэр шӀэныгъэлэжьхэм ащыщыбэмэ алъытэ.

The Maykop culture or Maikop culture (Russian: майкоп, [mɐjˈkop], scientific transliteration: Majkop,), c. 3700 BC–3000 BC,is a major Bronze Age archaeological culture in the western Caucasus region.

It extends along the area from the Taman Peninsula at the Kerch Strait to near the modern border of Dagestan and southwards to the Kura River. The culture takes its name from a royal burial, the Maykop kurgan in the Kuban River valley.

According to genetic studies on ancient DNA published in 2018, the Maykop population came from the south, from Imereti, and was descended from the Chalcolithic farmers known as Darkveti-Meshoko who first colonized the north side of the Caucasus. Maykop is therefore the "ideal archaeological candidate for the founders of the Northwest Caucasian language family"

The Circassians and the Maikop culture (c. 3700–3000 BCE) are genetically and geographically connected, and many scholars consider the Maikop culture to be a proto-historical foundation for the peoples of the Northwest Caucasus, including the ancestors of modern Circassians (Adyghe).

 1. Who Were the Maikop People?

• The Maikop culture was a Bronze Age civilization centered in the Northwest Caucasus, primarily in present-day Adygea and Krasnodar Krai — the heartland of modern Circassians.
• Known for rich burial mounds (kurgans), metalwork, trade connections, and early urbanization.
• They had links to both South Caucasus/Anatolia and the Steppe.

🧬 2. Genetic Profile of Maikop Culture

🔹 Ancient DNA Studies (e.g., Wang et al. 2019):

• Maikop individuals show a unique genetic profile combining:
• Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer (CHG) ancestry (dominant)
• Iran Neolithic-related ancestry
• Anatolian Farmer ancestry (minor)
• Very little to no Steppe (Yamnaya) ancestry

🧬 Y-DNA (Paternal lineages)

• Haplogroups: G2a, J1, J2, and L — common among Neolithic West Asian and Caucasus populations.
• These are also found among modern Circassians.

🧬 mtDNA (Maternal lineages)

• Diverse West Eurasian haplogroups such as H, U, K, T, and J — all present in modern Northwest Caucasians.

 3. Circassian Genetic Continuity

Circassians today show:

• A strong genetic signal from Caucasus Hunter-Gatherers (CHG) — which Maikop also shares.
• Y-DNA overlap: Common Circassian lineages like G2a and J2 are consistent with Maikop burials.
• Autosomal DNA affinity: Circassians cluster closely with ancient Caucasus populations, especially Maikop, in genetic PCA (Principal Component Analysis) plots.

 4. Cultural Continuity Indicators

Feature	Maikop Culture	Circassians
Geographic core	Northwest Caucasus (Adygea region)	Same region
Metalworking	Advanced bronze & gold work	Continued metal usage
Burial mounds (kurgans)	Yes	Some persistence in elite burial practices
Wheeled transport	Evidence of early wagon use	Later Circassian traditions show horse-centered culture
Cultural symbolism	Animal motifs, sun & nature themes	Echoes in Nart sagas, oral traditions

 5. Scholarly Consensus

• Most archaeologists and geneticists agree the Maikop culture is a likely cultural and genetic ancestor of the Northwest Caucasian peoples, including:
• Circassians (Adyghe)
• Abkhazians
• Ubykhs
• It represents the early Bronze Age formation of these ethnicities through local development rather than outside Indo-European intrusion.

 Summary: Circassians & Maikop Culture Relationship

Aspect	Connection to Circassians
Geographic Origin	✅ Same homeland (Northwest Caucasus)
Genetic Continuity	✅ Strong CHG, J2, G2a overlap
Cultural Links	✅ Burial, metallurgy, mythology (echoes remain)
Language	❓ No written Maikop language, but likely pre-NWC
Indo-European Influence	❌ Absent in both

Conclusion:
The Maikop culture is the most plausible ancestral culture of the Circassians, both genetically and culturally. It represents an indigenous, sophisticated Bronze Age civilization of the Northwest Caucasus, whose descendants likely evolved into the historical Circassian (Adyghe) people over millennia.