Israel Chalcolithic All DNA samples (n20)

The Chalcolithic inhabitants of ancient Israel, were a significant population in the region during the late 5th to early 4th millennium BCE. These early inhabitants of Canaan descended from a mix of different ancestral populations, with deep ties to the Natufians, Levantine agriculturalists, Anatolian Neolithic farmers, and even Iranian Neolithic farmers. The Natufians, who lived in the Levant around 12,000–9,000 BCE, were among the first known people to transition from a purely hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more sedentary existence, laying the groundwork for early agriculture. Over time, this region saw waves of migration and interaction with neighboring populations, including farmers from Anatolia and Iran, which contributed to the genetic and cultural makeup of the Chalcolithic inhabitants of Israel.

This period also laid the foundation for the later Bronze Age cultures of the Levant such as the Canaanites. The synthesis of local Levantine traditions with influences from Anatolia and Iran helped shape the early urban societies that would eventually become the ancient Canaanite civilization, known for its vibrant culture and strategic position in the crossroads of the ancient Near East.

Inhabitants of Israel in the Chalcolithic resembled modern populations of Arabia and the near east in autosomal DNA, and mainly descended from the Natufian agriculturalists.