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Women were at the heart of early Iron Age British societies, a new analysis of DNA dating back 2,000 years has revealed.
Research published in the magazine nature On Wednesday, I found that British Celtic societies were matriarchal with married women residing in their ancestral communities.
Human societies are often shaped by where couples choose to reside culturally.
For example, in patrilineal societies, partners reside mainly with or near the male’s families, while in matrilineal societies, couples live near the female’s parents.
Previous studies confirm that patriarchy was widely practiced in the European Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Ages.
However, previous research has indicated that in the case of Celtic societies, women had a higher status.
The Romans documented their surprise at finding women in positions of power, writing about queens – Boudicca and Cartimandua – who led armies and found the empowerment of Celtic women to be remarkable.
Researchers also found evidence that the Dorotriges tribe, who occupied the south-central coast of England around 100 BC to 100 AD, buried women with valuables.
Now, DNA from these Celtic communities, analyzed by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, supports this theory.
“Such a matriarchal pattern is not described in European prehistory,” the scientists wrote.
The scientists analyzed the genomes of 57 individuals buried in Iron Age graves associated with Dorotrigian communities in southern Britain.
They found that most individuals were related through the maternal line.
It was also found that the unrelated individuals found in the cemetery were mostly male, indicating that they migrated to the area after marriage.
“This tells us that husbands moved to join their wives’ communities upon marriage, with land likely being passed down through the female line,” said study co-author Lara Cassidy.
Dr Cassidy said: “This is the first time this type of system has been documented in European prehistory, and it predicts the social and political empowerment of women.”
The researchers then compared ancient DNA from Britain with other European locations such as France, the Netherlands and Czechia, spanning more than 6,000 years.
They can gain insight into population movements and find links between British Iron Age populations and those of mainland Europe.
Scholars have found evidence of ongoing cultural exchange across the Channels which likely influenced local cultures and may have introduced Celtic languages.
While matrilineal citizenship does not necessarily mean female political and social empowerment, the researchers say it is “strongly linked” to these, adding that it is also “consistent with Roman descriptions of Celtic women”.
The findings provide a much deeper understanding of ancient British societies and their connections to continental Europe.