中国科学院昆明动物研究所机构知识库

历史上，悬棺葬习俗从华南地区、东南亚大陆、东南亚岛屿，直到近大洋洲的广大区域盛行了近三千多年；最早的悬棺葬遗址位于华南的武夷山地区，年代为3,600多年；华南地区最晚的悬棺葬遗址在四川-云南的接壤地区，年代约为600多年。然而，在东南亚岛屿和太平洋诸岛的极少数部落人群中，至今尚保留有该习俗。长期以来，有关悬棺葬文化的起源、传播模式、人群的源流和与现生人群的关系等重要问题在学术界存在着比较大的争议。关于悬棺葬的起源方面，有的观点认为悬棺葬习俗有着单一的起源，其发源于中国东南沿海地区，从此扩散到了其它地方；但另一种观点认为不同地区的悬棺葬文化（特别是华南以外的）是分别独立发展起来的。关于人群源流方面，有的观点认为该习俗与侗傣语系人群有关；但另一种观点认为该习俗主要与苗瑶族群有关，还涉及华南地区的汉族和其它少数民族。本研究对年代在660-2,500年之前，采集自云南、广西和泰国北部的13个悬棺葬遗址共41个人类样本测定了线粒体全基因组数据。整合现生人群的线线粒体DNA大数据综合分析，我们发现不同地区悬棺葬人群之间共享少数的线粒体DNA支系并且存在非常近的遗传关系；群体水平和个体水平的分析结果显示，与悬棺葬人群的关系最为密切的现生人群是分布于华南和泰国北部的侗傣语系人群，但与其他周边人群也有一定的关系，可能是后期人群混合造成的。详细的人群关系分析发现，在泰国北部的泰族人群内部，与泰国的悬棺葬人群关系最为密切的是泰族中的昆穆昂（Khon Mueang）支系和傣阮（Tai Yuan）支系人群。结合考古学、民俗学、语言学和历史学等资料的综合分析我们推测，悬棺葬习俗主要是由现今侗傣语系族群的先民，即曾经分布于华南地区的古越人，约3,600年前在中国东南沿海一带发展起来，后来通过人群的大规模迁徙和扩散方式，把该习俗传播到了华南的其他地区；该习俗从华南传播到东南亚地区的主要方式是文化的扩散，而非大面积人群迁徙和流动。

Historically, the Hanging Coffin custom has been popular in South China, Southeast Asia, Island Southeast Asia, and near Oceania regions for nearly 3,000 years. The earliest Hanging Coffin site is located in the Wuyishan area of South China, dating back more than 3,600 years. In South China, the latest Hanging Coffin site is located in the border area of Sichuan-Yunnan, dating back more than 600 years. Notably, this custom is still practiced in a few tribal peoples in Island Southeast Asia and Pacific islands. For a long time, important issues such as the origin of the Hanging Coffin culture, the mode of communication, the source of the population, and their relationship with current populations have been controversial. Regarding the origin of hanging funeral, some people believe that the Hanging Coffin custom has a single origin, which originated in the southeastern coastal areas of China and spred to other places. In contrast, another view is that the hanging funeral cultures in different regions (especially outside of South China) had developed independently. Regarding the source of the population, some people think that the custom is related to the Daic language speakers; but others proposed that the custom is mainly related to the Miao Yao ethnic group, and also involves the Han and other ethnic minorities in South China.In this study, mitochondrial whole genome sequencing data were collected from a total of 41 human remains collected from 13 Hanging Coffin sites in Yunnan, Guangxi, and northern Thailand, which were dated between 660 and 2,500 years ago. Combined with the mtDNA data of current populations, we found that there is a close genetic relationship between the Hanging Coffin custom people in different regions; Analyses of both populations and individuals indicate that genetically the closest present day populations with Hanging Coffin conductors is the Daic language speakers living in southern China and northern Thailand. In addition, the Hanging Coffin populations also share some mtDNA diversities with other present day surrounding populations, an implication of recent admixture. A detailed demographic analysis found that a Thai branch, Khon Mueang, the present day Daic speakers in northern Thailand, showed the closest genetic affinity with the prehistoric Hanging Coffin people in Thailand. The results of this genetic analysis, combined with archaeological, folklore and historical data, suggest that the Hanging Coffin custom was probably developed by the ancestors of the current Daic speakers about 3,500 years ago in the southeast coast of China. Then the Hanging Coffin culture dispersal initially occurred by demic diffusion in southern China from eastern coastline region. After its arrival to Southeast Asia, the major dispersal pattern became cultural diffusion with wide spread into surrounding local settlers.