An analysis of DNA reveals that a woman from eastern China led her community around 4,500 years ago.
During the study of ancient DNA from a skeleton found in a Stone Age cemetery in China, archaeologists uncovered a unique societal structure. Individuals belonged to one of two maternal clans and were interred within their maternal lines for at least ten generations.
At an archaeological site in Fujiwara, eastern China, researchers found two cemeteries located approximately 330 feet (100 meters) apart, right next to an ancient residential area. Over 500 burials were examined, with radiocarbon dating indicating they occurred between 2750 and 2500 BC.
A survey published in Nature on June 4th detailed the DNA analysis of 60 skeletons found at the site, comprising 14 from the North Cemetery and 46 from the South Cemetery.
All individuals from the North Cemetery exhibited identical mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is transmitted solely from mothers to offspring. This indicates a shared maternal lineage among them, the researchers noted in their findings.
In the South Cemetery, researchers identified distinct mtDNA lineages shared by 44 out of the 46 skeletons examined. Furthermore, an analysis of the Y chromosome from male remains revealed considerable diversity. These results imply that while the maternal lineages were consistent, the paternal lineages were not.
“By integrating mtDNA and Y-chromosomal analysis, we provide evidence that the majority of individuals in Fuji were buried according to their maternal lineage,” stated the researchers. Notably, both young and adult males were interred exclusively within their maternal clans, aligning with the norms of a matrilineal society.
Such revelations about ancient societies organized by maternal lines are quite uncommon. Previous studies utilizing DNA analysis to determine matrilineal communities include those in Chaco Canyon (New Mexico), among the Celtic elite in southern Germany, and the Durotriges in Iron Age Britain. However, comparable practices have been identified in the matrilineal societies of contemporary Southeast Asia.
Related: “Excessive injuries in Bronze Age skeletons reveal a fierce conflict in ancient China”
Further investigation indicated a significant prevalence of consanguineous marriages spanning 10 generations. While many individuals may have wed their second or third cousins, four cases displayed evidence of unions with first cousins or even closer relatives.
Such familial connections may not represent an ideal marriage structure, but they can be typical in a small, insular community, the researchers explained.
The researchers emphasized that this “unique social organization” had not been previously documented among East Asian populations during the Stone Age.
“It is thrilling to uncover evidence of a home society in Neolithic China,” remarked Yudong, an archaeologist at Shandong University who was not part of the study, in a statement.
The findings from Fujia offer crucial perspectives on the social and environmental dynamics during the shift from small-group structures to more complex societies. Future DNA and archaeological research is expected to enhance the understanding of matrilineal social organization in early human civilizations.
Terracotta Army Quiz: What do you know about the “warriors” in the tomb of China's first emperor from two thousand years ago?
Source: www.livescience.com