Tracing post-Pleistocene human movements and cultural connections of the eastern Himalayan region with the Tibetan plateau

The eastern Himalayan region played a crucial role in shaping the population prehistory of the Indian subcontinent. To understand the archaeology of the Tibetan plateau, a closer look at the archaeological remains of the eastern Himalayan region is pertinent. This paper reviews the available data from historical linguistics, genetic sciences, ethnographic oral traditions and historical sources to inform an interpretation of the archaeological problemof early migration and dispersal of people on both sides of themountain range. Rejecting the hypothesis of the high Himalaya being a barrier for human movements, we suggest that there were considerable population dispersal and cultural exchange across the eastern Himalayan region and the Tibetan plateau froman early date. Further research strategies are also highlighted. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.