A new study on the genetics of ancient humans, using DNA extracted from 40 people who were buried in stalled cairns in Caithness and Orkney, has found evidence of a highly structured, male-dominated social system that lasted for more than 500 years.
The study revealed a ‘web of descent’ in which men within at least seven generations of male relatives were buried in proximity to one another. The 'family tree' generated by this research indicates that men continued to live in their natal communities and women migrated between residences to establish new relationships based on kinship. The results of this research significantly advance our understanding of the biological and social hierarchies of Stone Age Britain; the monumental tombs that were created during this time period served as a sacred, genealogical connection between particular male families. This genetic mapping confirms that patrilocal customs shaped Neolithic society, cementing ancestral lineages within these stone monuments for many centuries.
