d’Alpoim Guedes Publishes Multi-Disciplinary Study on Early Dispersal of Sino-Tibetan Language Family
Posted: 4/14/2026 (CSDE Research)
In a new article in Quaternary Environments and Humans, CSDE Affiliate Jade d’Alpoim Guedes (Anthropology) investigates the spread of Sino-Tibetan languages to the eastern Tibetan Plateau, combining evidence from multiple scientific disciplines, applying data from linguistics, palaeoclimate and archaeology. The study focuses on the interaction among different groups of people, zooming into the contact and cultural dynamics of the eastern plateau between ca. 3300 BC to 846 AD. d’Alpoim Guedes observes diversification in both archaeological and linguistic evidence following the 4.2 kya event, suggesting a potential human response to the climate change. The results also illustrate acceptance and resistance of the populations on the Tibetan Plateau to different degrees in terms of agriculturalist economy and diversification of subsistence strategies in order to avoid risks.