This essay revolves around the Mundari-speaking population of the South Asian sub-continent and the long-standing debate about their migratory paths. It shows how the debate evolved from earlier linguistics-based theories to parental markers research and how it was ultimately resolved by the introduction of ancient DNA studies.

The present paper examines a long-standing anthropological and linguistic debate concerning the origins and migratory histories of the Mundari-speaking populations of eastern and central India. Drawing on recent advances in genetic research, it shows how ancient DNA studies have not only challenged earlier linguistics-based and uniparental-marker hypotheses, but have fundamentally reframed the terms of the debate itself.