A groundbreaking study has revealed that during the Iron Age in Britain, land was inherited through the female line, with husbands moving into their wives’ communities. This finding is considered the first documentation of such a system in European prehistory.
A collaborative effort led by geneticists from Trinity College Dublin and archaeologists from Bournemouth University has uncovered the structural dynamics of British Iron Age society, highlighting evidence of female empowerment in both political and social spheres.
The research team took advantage of a rare opportunity to sequence DNA from multiple individuals within a single community. From burial sites in Dorset, southern England, used both before and after the Roman Conquest of AD 43, they successfully obtained over 50 ancient genomes. The analysis indicated that this community was organized around female-line descent.
Dr. Lara Cassidy, an Assistant Professor in Trinity’s Department of Genetics, spearheaded the study published today in the renowned journal Nature. She stated, “This cemetery belonged to a large kin group. We constructed a family tree with many branches and found that most individuals could trace their maternal lineage back to a single woman from centuries ago. In contrast, paternal relationships were significantly less pronounced.”
“This indicates that husbands relocated to their wives’ communities upon marriage, with the potential for land to be inherited through the female line. This discovery marks the first evidence of such a system in European prehistory, suggesting a framework for female social and political empowerment.”
“While this structure is relatively uncommon in modern societies, it may have been more prevalent in the past.”
Remarkably, the researchers discovered that this form of social organization, known as “matrilocality,” extended beyond Dorset. By examining previous genetic studies of Iron Age Britain, they found similar patterns, despite smaller sample sizes from other burial sites.
Co-author Dan Bradley, Professor of Population Genetics in Trinity’s Department of Genetics, noted, “Throughout Britain, we observed cemeteries where the majority of individuals were maternally linked to a select group of female ancestors. In Yorkshire, for instance, a prominent maternal line had been established before 400 BC. Surprisingly, this trend was widespread and has ancient roots on the island.”
Iron Age cemeteries with well-preserved burials are quite rare in Britain, with Dorset being an exception due to the distinctive burial practices of the people known as the “Durotriges” by the Romans. The research team collected DNA from a site near Winterborne Kingston, referred to as “Duropolis”, which has been excavated by Bournemouth University since 2009. Their previous findings indicated that the more elaborate Durotrigan burials were predominantly those of women.
Dr. Miles Russell, director of the excavation and co-author of the study, remarked, “Historically, our understanding of Iron Age Britain has relied mainly on the accounts of Greek and Roman writers, who are not always regarded as entirely reliable. Nevertheless, their remarks about British women are striking in light of our findings. When the Romans arrived, they were stunned to find women in positions of authority. Two of the earliest known leaders were queens—Boudica and Cartimandua—who led armies.”
“It’s been suggested that the Romans may have exaggerated the freedoms of British women to portray them as inhabiting a wild society. However, archaeology, and now genetics, suggests that women played significant roles in various aspects of Iron Age life. Indeed, maternal lineage may have been a key factor in shaping group identities.”
Anthropologist Dr. Martin Smith, one of the bone specialists involved in the project, added, “These findings provide us with a fresh perspective on the burials we study with our students. Instead of merely documenting a collection of skeletons, we can uncover hidden details about these individuals’ lives and identities as mothers, husbands, and daughters, among others. Additionally, we see that they had a strong understanding of their ancestry— marriages between distant branches of the family were common, while close inbreeding was likely avoided.”
Supporting Julius Caesar’s observations, the researchers also discovered evidence of Iron Age migrations into coastal southern England, which previous genetic studies had overlooked. This new information could enhance discussions regarding the arrival of the Celtic language in Britain.
Dr. Cassidy elaborated, “There have been indications of migration into Britain during the later Bronze Age, leading some to posit that Celtic language might have come during that time. However, our results suggest significant cross-channel movement during the Iron Age as well. Determining the exact timing of the arrival of Celtic will be challenging. It’s very likely that Celtic languages were brought to Britain on multiple occasions.”
