  We investigate the physical properties of the progenitors of today living
Milky Way-like galaxies that are visible as Damped Lya Absorption systems and
Lya Emitters at higher redshifts (z ~ 2.3,5.7). To this aim we use a
statistical merger-tree approach that follows the formation of the Galaxy and
its dwarf satellites in a cosmological context, tracing the chemical evolution
and stellar population history of the progenitor halos. The model accounts for
the properties of the most metal-poor stars and local dwarf galaxies, providing
insights on the early cosmic star-formation. Fruitful links between Galactic
Archaeology and more distant galaxies are presented.
