Maternal clans shaped burial and society in Neolithic China community, ancient DNA reveals

Maternal clans shaped burial and society in Neolithic China community, ancient DNA reveals

A millet-farming settlement on the Shandong coast in Neolithic China around 4,500 years ago organized its society by maternal lineage, according to researchers at Peking University.

Ancient DNA reveals prehistoric matrilineal society shaped Neolithic China’s burial practices

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have uncovered evidence of a society dating back over 4,500 years in eastern China, organized by maternal lineage. According to the study, published in Nature, the Neolithic settlement of Fujia, on the Shandong coast, had a matrilineal community more than 4,500 years ago. The Mosuo matrilineal society, an ethnic group living in China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. Credit: Rod Waddington / CC BY-SA 2.0 …