Researchers have uncovered genetic evidence suggesting that ancient Celtic societies in Iron Age Britain were matrilineal and matrilocal, with women holding status and influence. A study published on January in the journal Nature details the analysis of 50 ancient genomes from a burial site in Dorset, England, revealing a community where maternal ancestry shaped group identities.
"This is the first time this type of system has been documented in European prehistory, and it predicts female social and political empowerment," said Lara Cassidy, an assistant professor in Trinity's Department of Genetics and the study's lead author, according to El País.
The research team analyzed genetic material from remains found at a site near Winterborne Kingston, Dorset. They discovered that nearly all the women were descendants of a single common ancestor, indicating strong maternal lineage connections. In contrast, paternal relationships were almost nonexistent, suggesting that husbands moved to join their wives' communities—a practice known as matrilocality.
The findings challenge traditional perceptions of Iron Age social norms, suggesting that women held considerable status and influence in many spheres of life during the Iron Age, according to Science News. Graves of female individuals often contained high-status artifacts, aligning with the discovery of valuable items buried with Celtic women, indicating their high status and maternal inheritance practices.
Historical accounts from Greek and Roman writers, including Julius Caesar, described powerful female political leaders in Iron Age England, such as Boudica and Cartimandua, noting their independence and fighting prowess. While these accounts may have exaggerated the freedoms of these women, the new genetic evidence provides support for the notion of a female-focused society.
Researchers found a strong genetic signature of matrilocality across Iron Age Britain, practiced over centuries, as reported by Nature. By reviewing previous genetic studies of Iron Age Britain, they detected a consistent pattern of maternal lineage, including in Yorkshire, challenging the assumption that prehistoric European societies have been consistently patrilocal.
"We reconstructed a family tree with many different branches and discovered that for most of the members, their maternal lineage traced back to a single woman who would have lived centuries earlier. By contrast, relationships through the paternal line were almost nonexistent," said Cassidy in a press release, according to Live Science.
The study's findings suggest that women in Celtic society maintained social networks throughout their lives, likely inheriting or managing land and property. This highlights their central role in these communities. "Power seems to be transmitted through the line of female descent," said Miles Russell, the director of the excavations and an archaeologist at Bournemouth University.
Moreover, the researchers discovered that 85% of the people were related to one another, with most individuals sharing maternal ancestry through mitochondrial DNA, as reported by Science News. This pattern indicates that the society was not only matrilocal but also matrilineal, tracing lineage through the maternal line.
The term matrilocal refers to the practice where newlyweds reside with or near the wife's relatives, providing women with more access to resources and social power compared to more common patrilocal systems. Such practices are historically rare and tend to accompany greater opportunities for women to wield household and community power.
These genetic insights contribute to the understanding of Iron Age societies in Britain. While past social customs are often forgotten or marginally recorded in written sources, the combination of genetic evidence with archaeological findings provides a more comprehensive picture of ancient social structures.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.