New findings reveal existence of prehistoric matrilineal society in east China

JINAN, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have confirmed the existence of a prehistoric matrilineal community in east China's Shandong Province, pushing back the established timeline of matrilineal social societies, which were previously believed to have emerged no earlier than the Iron Age in Europe.

The new findings were published in Nature on Wednesday.

The research team analyzed ancient DNA alongside archaeological contexts and multiple stable isotopic data sets from 60 individuals in two separate cemeteries at the Fujia archaeological site in Shandong's coastal Guangrao County, dating back to between 2750 B.C. and 2500 B.C.

Their results point to the existence of an early-described matrilineal community in the Neolithic period, characterized by high endogamy and a population practicing millet agriculture near the coast. Evidence of intermarriage between individuals in the two cemeteries and the presence of both primary and secondary burials, organized strictly according to maternal clans, underscore a strong sense of social cohesion and identity at the Fujia site.

Zhang Hai, a researcher at Peking University's School of Archaeology and Museology, said that using a multidisciplinary approach, the team confirmed the existence of prehistoric matrilineal social organization. They also uncovered key insights into the structure, population size, subsistence patterns and productivity levels of matrilineal clan societies in the lower Yellow River coastal region during the Neolithic age.

Their work marks a major breakthrough in the study of social organization in early human societies, Zhang said.