Ancient DNA analysis of a man interred in a monumental stone age tomb in Ireland has revealed that he was born from incest around 5,000 years ago. However, this finding does not necessarily imply, as was previously suggested, that he was part of an elite lineage, according to new research.
“Archaeological evidence from Neolithic Ireland indicates that there was no ‘king’ or any form of royal hierarchy at that time,” stated Jessica Smith, an associate professor of archaeology at Dublin University, in an email to Live Science. “This concept is a social category from a much later period that is being misapplied.”
A study released on June 24th in a journal Ancient includes a new interpretation of the fragmented skeleton of a man buried at New Grange, challenging the assumption that his incestuous parentage made him a member of an elite dynasty.
Constructed in northeastern Ireland around 3100 BC and rediscovered in 1699, New Grange is a significant tomb featuring an inner passage that leads to a burial chamber. The skeletons uncovered at the New Grange Mound were isolated, meaning there were no continuous burials of entire individuals, nor fragments of individuals believed to have been interred after death.
Ancient analysis of New Grange Skeleton DNA revealed in 2020 that the skull bones of an adult male (NG10) originated from closely related parents. Given that such incest is a widespread human taboo, researchers propose that sibling marriages may sometimes have been accepted among royal families, similar to practices found in cultures like God King from Ancient Egypt and Mesoamerican Inca.
Nonetheless, referring to NG10 as “the King of God” based solely on his parent-child relationship and his burial placement at New Grange poses issues, Smith and co-authors assert in their latest study.
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“What draws our attention is the fact that incest has thus far been a rare occurrence in Neolithic Ireland and England,” Smith noted. In fact, research indicates minimal evidence of social inequality during the Neolithic period (4000-2500 BC).
Although NG10’s bones were discovered in a small hollow in the burial chamber, Smith and colleagues contend that this does not necessarily imply he was interred there or that it was a significant spot within the grave.
“Given the disturbances within New Grange over the last 300 years, there’s no definitive way to ascertain the origin of the skull fragments or whether NG10’s parental lineage is known to others or remains concealed,” Smith explained.
In previous research, the same team published a paper in April suggesting that while sites like New Grange and other megaliths were indeed impressive, they likely served as resting places for the entire community rather than just a local dynasty.
Smith remarked that the criteria for selecting burials at New Grange remain unclear, as infants, the elderly, men, women, and individuals with various abilities have all been found interred at the mound.
“It’s reasonable to conclude that most individuals in the Neolithic era were not part of the megalithic monument,” Smith stated.
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Source: www.livescience.com