Newswise — Around 12,000 years ago, the Neolithic lifestyle emerged in the Near East, shifting from hunting and gathering to agriculture-based farming. This transformation had a profound impact on the development of modern civilization. The shift to farming allowed for surplus food production and storage, leading to the evolution of new social customs based on wealth, consequently giving rise to social hierarchies.
As settled societies spread to various regions in western Europe, their structures became more intricate, a characteristic sometimes evident in their funerary practices. The Paris Basin in northern modern-day France, for instance, is renowned for its grand funerary sites, believed to have been constructed for the elite members of society.
In this context, the significant Neolithic funerary site of Gurgy 'Les Noisats' in the region draws attention to the question of who these individuals buried with distinct practices were.
Through the application of novel techniques for obtaining and analyzing ancient DNA data, researchers from the PACEA laboratory in Bordeaux, France, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, have unveiled a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the people from a prehistoric community. By sampling nearly every individual from the flat cemetery, they have constructed two extensive family trees, providing valuable insights into the intricate social connections within this ancient society.
Massive family trees
In their research, the scientists conducted an in-depth analysis of genome-wide ancient DNA data obtained from 94 individuals laid to rest at Gurgy. Additionally, they integrated strontium isotope ratio values, mitochondrial DNA (maternal lineages) and Y-chromosome (paternal lineages) data, age-at-death, and genetic sex into their study. As a result, they successfully reconstructed two remarkable family trees.
The first family tree impressively connects 64 individuals spanning seven generations, representing the most extensive pedigree ever reconstructed from ancient DNA records. The second family tree, on the other hand, links twelve individuals across five generations, providing further valuable insights into the community's ancestral relationships.
Stéphane Rottier, the archaeo-anthropologist from the University of Bordeaux, who led the excavation at the site between 2004 and 2007, reveals fascinating findings. Throughout the excavation, evidence emerged indicating a remarkable level of control over the funerary space, with very few instances of overlapping burials. This suggests that the site was likely managed by a group of closely related individuals, or at the very least, by people who possessed knowledge of the occupants' burial locations.
Moreover, the study uncovered a noteworthy correlation between spatial and genetic distances. It became apparent that the deceased were more likely to be interred near their relatives, highlighting the significance of familial ties in the burial practices observed at the site.
Insights into the social structure of Gurgy
The exploration of pedigrees at Gurgy uncovered a remarkable patrilineal pattern, where each successive generation was predominantly connected through the biological father, establishing a strong paternal line that encompassed the entire community. Simultaneously, the combined evidence from mitochondrial lineages and strontium stable isotopes revealed an intriguing aspect of patrilocality. This suggested that the sons tended to remain in their birthplace, forming relationships with females from outside of Gurgy. This practice, known as virilocality, led to the women's non-local origins.
The absence of most lineage adult daughters aligned with the concept of female exogamy, hinting at a possible reciprocal exchange system. Notably, the "new incoming" female individuals displayed only distant relations to each other, indicating that they likely originated from a network of nearby communities rather than a single neighboring group. This finding provided support for the existence of a relatively broad and potentially fluid exchange network, comprising numerous, including smaller, groups in the vicinity of Gurgy.
Maïté Rivollat, the first author of the study, expresses astonishment while examining the family trees. The findings reveal a remarkable occurrence of numerous full siblings who reached reproductive age. Coupled with an anticipated equal number of females and a significant presence of deceased infants, this points to large family sizes, a high fertility rate, and overall stable health and nutritional conditions—an extraordinary revelation for such ancient times.
Additionally, a distinct feature observed at Gurgy is the absence of half-siblings. This suggests that neither polygamous nor serial monogamous reproductive partnerships were common (or that offspring from such unions were not buried in the main cemetery). This distinctive characteristic stands in contrast to the only other known example of union practices from Neolithic megaliths, making it a noteworthy and unique aspect of the Gurgy community.
A founding ancestor
Within the context of the patrilocal system observed in the community, researchers were able to identify a male individual who served as the "founding father" of the cemetery, from whom everyone in the largest family tree descended. Remarkably, his burial stands out as unique at the Gurgy site. His skeletal remains were found to be buried as a secondary deposit within the grave pit of a woman, unfortunately without available genomic data.
This distinctive burial practice suggests that the "founding father's" bones were brought from the place of his initial death to be reinterred at Gurgy. According to Marie-France Deguilloux, co-senior author of the study from the University of Bordeaux, this act of relocation indicates that he must have held great significance to the founders of the Gurgy site. Such an extraordinary step of bringing him to Gurgy after an initial burial elsewhere signifies the profound importance and reverence attributed to this individual in the community's history.
Despite spanning seven generations, the main pedigree's demographic profile provides intriguing insights into the history of the community at Gurgy. The data suggests that a sizable family group, extending over several generations, arrived at the site. Initially, there are hardly any subadult burials during the first few generations, and conversely, no adult burials in the later generations, indicating a relatively short duration of site use.
It appears that the group had a pattern of leaving their previous site, abandoning the graves of deceased children, while still bringing the paternal lineage father along. Similarly, a few generations later, the adults from the last generations departed Gurgy for another location, leaving their own children behind. As a result, it is likely that Gurgy was only utilized for a brief period, estimated to be around three to four generations, or approximately one century. The transient nature of the site usage highlights the dynamic movements and settlement patterns of this prehistoric community.
The largest pedigrees ever reconstructed from ancient human DNA data, coupled with a multitude of supporting evidence, mark an unprecedented milestone in unraveling the social structures of ancient societies. This groundbreaking study represents a significant leap forward in our comprehension of how past communities were organized.
The remarkable progress in our field, particularly in recent years, and the comprehensive integration of contextual data have made this extraordinary research possible. Wolfgang Haak, senior author of the study from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, expresses his excitement, describing it as a dream come true for anthropologists and archaeologists alike. This groundbreaking work not only sheds light on the ancient human past but also paves the way for exciting new avenues of exploration in understanding the complexities of our ancestors' lives.
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