7,000 year-old DNA proves European Neolithics had only one partner at a time

The Neolithic period occurred approximately 10,000 to 4,500 years ago, varying in different regions worldwide.

Understanding the social organization of Neolithic communities has been challenging due to the scarcity of data on biological relatedness and kinship practices in prehistoric societies. 

Previous research relied heavily on archaeological findings, making determining genetic relationships between individuals buried together or their origins challenging.

However, advancements in ancient DNA technology and analytical methods have now allowed researchers to reconstruct detailed genetic relationships.

By combining genome-wide data with archaeological evidence, the team led by Maïté Rivollat studied the remains of around 100 individuals buried in Gurgy, dating back to approximately 4850–4500 BC.

The data suggested that reproductive partnering was mainly monogamous, and the community lineage was traced through the male line. 

The authors also wrote in the study, "The absence of half-siblings and the high number of adult full siblings suggest that there were stable health conditions and a supportive social network, facilitating high fertility and low mortality."

Another intriguing finding was that this particular community had only occupied the site for a few decades, and they were genetically connected through two main pedigrees spanning seven generations.

Valuable connections to our past

These discoveries represent a significant step forward in understanding European Neolithic societies. The research paves the way for future archaeogenetic studies to gain a broader perspective on these ancient communities by providing detailed insights into their kinship practices, residence patterns, and social organization.

Moreover, the study's use of genome-wide data to reconstruct ancient genetic relationships sets a precedent for similar research in other European Neolithic sites. 

As researchers uncover more about these ancient populations, we can expect to gain a deeper understanding of how these societies lived, interacted, and contributed to shaping human history. 

Such discoveries offer valuable connections to our past, enriching our knowledge of the diverse cultures that once thrived in the distant reaches of time.

The complete study was published in Nature on July 26 and can be found here.

Study abstract:

Social anthropology and ethnographic studies have described kinship systems and networks of contact and exchange in extant populations1–4. However, for prehistoric societies, these systems can be studied only indirectly from biological and cultural remains. Stable isotope data, sex and age at death can provide insights into the demographic structure of a burial community and identify local versus non-local childhood signatures, archaeogenetic data can reconstruct the biological relationships between individuals, which enables the reconstruction of pedigrees, and combined evidence informs on kinship practices and residence patterns in prehistoric societies. Here we report ancient DNA, strontium isotope and contextual data from more than 100 individuals from the site Gurgy ‘les Noisats’ (France), dated to the western European Neolithic around 4850–4500 bc. We find that this burial community was genetically connected by two main pedigrees, spanning seven generations, that were patrilocal and patrilineal, with evidence for female exogamy and exchange with genetically close neighbouring groups. The microdemographic structure of individuals linked and unlinked to the pedigrees reveals additional information about the social structure, living conditions and site occupation. The absence of half-siblings and the high number of adult full siblings suggest that there were stable health conditions and a supportive social network, facilitating high fertility and low mortality5. Age-structure differences and strontium isotope results by generation indicate that the site was used for just a few decades, providing new insights into shifting sedentary farming practices during the European Neolithic.