PLoS One has an interesting new paper on the intersection of archeology, history and genetics, Mitochondrial DNA Evidence for a Diversified Origin of Workers Building Mausoleum for First Emperor of China:
In conclusion, we showed that MBWs was an admixture and bore genetic continuity with contemporary Chinese populations. Its origin was much diversified, which seems to be compatible with historical accounts that the sources of slaved workers at Qin. Dynasty tend to be extremely diverse. Furthermore, we showed that a strong presence of the workers of southern origins although the results of analysis should be taken with caution in the context of more recent migrations after Qin Dynasty. Further studies are important to provide a more definitive understanding on the origin of these samples using the whole genome of mtDNA and Y chromosomal variations.
The caveats are many. N = 19. Ancient DNA extract is of course subject to contamination. This is only mitochondrial DNA inherited through the maternal line, so it might give us a distorted perception of genetic variation and relation. But, this is very interesting because it gives us concrete anchors and scaffolds what we already know from textual sources. In fact, the authors point out that one of the individuals seems likely to have a genetic affinity with the ancestral populations of the modern Japanese, as opposed to the disparate groups of the Chinese mainland.
A PC chart showing the relationships of the samples. MBW = mausoleum-building workers:
The PC's measure the independent components of genetic variation between these populations (individuals pooled together). This is a plot of the two largest components of variation (values denoted on the figure). The authors emphasize that the 19 individuals in the MBW sample were very diverse, which explains their distinction from various other ethnic groups. The Han Chinese samples are drawn from all across China and clustered by locality. Note that during this period China south of the Yangtze was predominantly populated by non-Han peoples, and there is a lot of genetic and non-genetic evidence that southern Han populations are a cultural and biological amalgamations of autochthons and immigrants from the north.
Update: Also, at Anthropology.net.
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The first emperor often captured nobles from other kindoms as slaves since Qin kindom basically abolished feudalism in favor of mericratic system. The noble class was most dangerous enemy to the first emperor's system.
Interesting article and post! Chinese folk tale has always been saying that some people from Qin was dispatched to search for immortal medicine and ended up in Japan. It explained why Hanzi or kanji in Japan is that of Qin writing instead of other system. But kanji might be directly from Han dynasty, which inherited almost every thing from Qin dynasty.
AG:
The Japanese did not use Hanzi (kanji) during Qin times. In fact I'm not sure that the Han knew where Japan is, that is a myth that is not based on any fact.
Qin was around 200 BCE, the Japanese did not start using kanji, which they later also adapted into hirigana and katakana, until about 700AD. The emissaries the Japanese sent to China brought back the Chinese writing system. They called it kanbun (æ¼¢æ: Han Language); Japanese still learn it in school today, my wife did back in the 80's. Anyway, 700AD was during the Chinese Tang Dynasty.