Analysis of ancient DNA from skeletal remains near Iron Age Celtic sites reveals evidence of matrilocality, a social pattern where married women live in their mothers' communities, among Durotrigian people in southern England around 2,000 years ago. This pattern, also observed at other sites across Britain, suggests that Celtic women held significant social and political power.
DNA clues indicate that around 2,000 years ago, married women in a Celtic society, known as Durotrigians, on the coast of south-central England, say paleogeneticist Lara Cassidy of Trinity College Dublin and colleagues.
Matrilocal practices characterized many British Celtic communities, the scientists say. Further comparisons of mitochondrial DNA from people buried at 156 British and continental European archaeological sites spanning about 6,000 years revealed shared maternal ancestries at six other British Iron Age locations. Most of those sites date to between 400 B.C. and 50 B.C.
Cassidy’s team found that Iron Age Celtic people in southern England, including Durotrigians, show genetic signs of substantial mating with continental Europeans who must have crossed the English Channel. An infusion of
MATRILOCALITY CELTIC CULTURE IRON AGE ENGLAND GENETIC ANALYSIS ANCIENT DNA
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