First case in European prehistory: it became known that Iron Age Britain was ruled by women

Julius Caesar described that when the Romans first entered the British Isles, they found a land ruled by warrior queens and other high-ranking women. While many modern historians do not trust these ancient Roman stories, a new analysis of 2000-year-old DNA shows that Celtic women were indeed great rulers in prehistoric Britain, which was unique in Europe and the world.

The idea that these ancient societies revolved around women was previously supported by findings in Celtic cemeteries in Dorset, southern England, where a tribe known as the Durotriges lived from about 100 BC to 100 AD. In these places, women's burials usually contain the most luxurious grave goods, indicating that it was the fair sex who held political, military, and social positions, IflScience writes.

A team of geneticists from Trinity College Dublin, working with archaeologists from Bournemouth University, examined evidence from 157 archaeological sites used before and after the Roman invasion in 43 AD in a new study, the DailyMail reports.

The experts studied the DNA of 55 people from the burial site of Durotrigianus in Winterbourne Kingston, as well as two more from other nearby cemeteries.

To gain insight into the structure of these ancient societies, the study's authors analyzed the levels of diversity in mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited only from the mother, as well as the Y chromosome, which is passed from father to son.

During the analysis, the researchers found that more than two-thirds of those buried in Winterbourne Kingston came from the same maternal line.

"We reconstructed a family tree with many different branches and found that most members traced their maternal line back to a single woman who lived centuries earlier," explained study author Dr. Lara Cassidy.

"In contrast, there was almost no relationship on the father's side. This tells us that men moved here to join their wives' communities after marriage, and the land was potentially passed down through the female line," the scientist added.

Such a system, known as matrilocalism, is different from patrilocal societies, which have been considered the norm for most of prehistoric history.

"This is the first time that such a system has been documented in European prehistory, and it involves the expansion of women's social and political rights. This is relatively rare in modern societies, but it may not have always been the case," Cassidy emphasized.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!