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2026年1月27日Ancient DNA Opens a 4,500-Year-Old Matrilineal Society: Two Long-Lasting Maternal Lineages at the Fujia Site, Shandong
The Fujia site at Guangrao, Shandong, belongs to the late Dawenkou culture and dates to about 4,500 years ago, with well-preserved human remains. Ning Chao of Peking University’s School of Archaeology and Museology describes the site’s ancient-DNA research in an article for the People’s Daily.
Using genome-wide shared segments and genetic similarity, the team reconstructed kinship among the cemetery’s individuals. They identified two sharply bounded, long-enduring maternal lineage groups, each with stable mitochondrial-DNA clustering and clear separation from the other. The two groups shared similar burial customs and were tied into a single community through marriage and kinship.
Until now, claims about prehistoric “matrilineal societies” rested largely on burial layouts and grave goods. The significance of this study is that ancient DNA can directly test the matrilineal clan structure itself, rather than inferring it indirectly from the arrangement of tombs.
Source: Ning Chao (School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University). People’s Daily, 2026-01-24.
