Unveiling the Mysteries of the Bronze Age: Experts Illuminate the Intricacies of an Ancient Kinship System

Photograph of a skeletal find at the Nepluyevsky site. Courtesy: Svetlana Sharapova

A collective burial site in the southern Ural region reveals tight familial connections; however, the women originated from different locales.

For a considerable time, scientists have been intrigued by the varying types of familial organizations present in ancient societies. A groundbreaking research initiative, spearheaded by anthropologists based in Mainz, Germany, and in collaboration with an array of international archaeologists, is now shedding new light on the genetic composition and origins of prehistoric familial units.

Lead researchers Jens Blöcher and Joachim Burger from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) undertook a comprehensive genomic analysis of skeletons discovered in a Bronze Age burial site situated in the Russian steppes. The funerary site, known as “Nepluyevsky,” is approximately 3,800 years old and was unearthed a few years back. It is geographically positioned on the boundary separating Europe and Asia.

By employing statistical genomics, the team was able to decode the matrimonial and familial structures of this ancient society. This research was executed in association with archaeologists based in Ekaterinburg and Frankfurt a. M., and received partial funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Russian Science Foundation (RSCF).

The mound under investigation served as the resting place for six brothers, their spouses, offspring, and subsequent generations. The eldest brother, presumed to be so based on the evidence, had sired eight children from two wives, one of whom originated from the eastern steppes of Asia. The other brothers seemingly lived in monogamous relationships and had notably fewer offspring.

To mitigate the risk of contamination, the ancient genomes were reconstructed in specialized clean rooms at JGU. Photo credit: Joachim Burger

A Captivating Glimpse into an Age-old Family Structure

“The excavated site offers an absorbing window into a prehistoric family,” remarks Jens Blöcher, the study’s principal author. “It is noteworthy that the presumptive eldest brother held a higher social rank, leading to an increased likelihood of procreation. This convention of male primogeniture is not unfamiliar to us; it is documented in sources like the Old Testament and was a practice among European aristocracy.”

Further analyses of the genomic data divulge additional insights. A majority of the women interred in the burial mound were non-locals. Conversely, the sisters of the entombed brothers relocated to new territories. Joachim Burger, the study’s senior author, elucidates: “The mobility of women for marriage reasons is a recurring pattern that is economically and evolutionarily rational. One gender remains localized, safeguarding family continuity and assets, while the other integrates from external regions to avoid genetic insularity.”

Genomic Divergence and Social Practices in the Bronze Age

The team from Mainz discovered that the genomic variability among the prehistoric women surpassed that of the men. The wives who joined this family were evidently from disparate regions and shared no familial relations. The researchers conclude that both patrilineal transmission of local traditions and patrilocal residence—where the family resides in the male’s place of origin—were practiced in Nepluyevsky.

Svetlana Sharapova, an Ekaterinburg-based archaeologist and excavation leader, comments, “During this period 3,800 years ago, the populace in southern Trans-Ural engaged in cattle rearing and metallurgy and primarily consumed dairy and meat products. It can be inferred that the health status of the buried family was severely compromised, with the average life expectancy for women being 28 years and men 36 years.”

In the last generation to use the mound, the site contained mainly the remains of infants and young children. Sharapova adds, “The reduction in adult burials suggests the possibility of a population decline due to disease or the migration of the surviving community to more fertile lands.”

Diverse Family Dynamics and Broader Implications

Jens Blöcher states, “There is a universal link between various familial configurations and specific modes of economic and social life. Nonetheless, human societies exhibit a considerable amount of adaptability.” He further notes, “In Nepluyevsky, there is evidence of social stratification commonly observed among pastoral communities: the firstborn son, presumably, had multiple partners and numerous children, while the majority were either single or in monogamous relationships.”

The study also reveals additional genomic evidence suggesting that populations genetically similar to the society in Nepluyevsky were widespread across the Eurasian steppe. “The patterns we have uncovered may very well be pertinent to a far-reaching geographical expanse,” Burger suggests. Subsequent research will determine the extent to which the Nepluyevsky model can be generalized to other ancient Eurasian societies.

Source: “Descent, marriage, and residence practices of a 3,800-year-old pastoral community in Central Eurasia” by Jens Blöcher, Maxime Brami, Isabelle Sofie Feinauer, Eliza Stolarczyk, Yoan Diekmann, Lisa Vetterdietz, Marina Karapetian, Laura Winkelbach, Vanessa Kokot, Leonardo Vallini, Astrid Stobbe, Wolfgang Haak, Christina Papageorgopoulou, Rüdiger Krause, Svetlana Sharapova, and Joachim Burger. Published on August 21, 2023, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303574120

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More about Bronze Age society

• Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Research Projects
• German Research Foundation (DFG)
• Russian Science Foundation (RSCF)
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Genomic Research in Anthropology
• Social Stratification in Ancient Societies
• Pastoral Communities and Social Structures
• Bronze Age Civilizations: An Overview
• Ancient Eurasian Steppe Societies
• Economic and Evolutionary Perspectives on Ancient Communities