3,800 years ago, a family of 44 lived and died in the Ural region, south of what is now Russia. They belonged to the Srubnaya-Alakul culture, tribes from the Bronze Age, a mixture of several peoples who buried their dead in kurgans, communal tombs on which earth and stone were deposited, creating an artificial mound that marks the place of the graves. . Millennia later, the bodies of those people were found. And now science reveals more details about how they lived, shedding light on issues such as their longevity, kinship, genetic ancestry or the most common practices in their relationships. The results have just been published in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' (PNAS). The study, led by Jens Blöcher, Joachim Burger and their colleagues from the Johannes Gutenberg University (Germany), combined anthropological, archaeological and paleogenetic data from the remains found in the aforementioned kurgan, excavated between 2017 and 2019 after its discovery on the margin right of the Yandyrka River, near the village of Nepluyevka (Kartaly district, Russia). There the researchers found remains of houses that were grouped near the riverbank, possibly to use the nearby grasslands for livestock (mainly cows and sheep), their main occupation. This town dominated metallurgy, as indicated by several pieces found in different houses in the town. Kurgan in which the bodies were found Shetlana Sharapova Of the 44 people who were found, 39% died before he was five years old and one 57% before he was fifteen. Individuals who exceeded this limit had a life expectancy of 27.8 years for women and 36.2 for men. In addition, there was a gap in ages between five years and maturity in women, so the authors believe that these were surely patrilocal societies in which they were the ones who moved to the locations of the husband, with whom they were buried Conversely, women who were born in the village possibly moved to other groups. Tomb of one of the six brothers from whom all the branches are born Shetlana Sharapova This theory is also supported by their genes: when studying 32 genomes of the 44 individuals of the Kugan, it was revealed that women had a more diverse genetic origin than men. Furthermore, there were no sisters among females over five years old. On the contrary, the basic structure of this family pivoted on six brothers from whom all descendants originate. "The oldest had eight children (the largest number) with two women, while the other relationships were monogamous," point out the authors, who maintain the theory that it is likely that the first-born had more status than the rest. MORE INFORMATION news Yes They find the progenitor of the largest 'magnetic monsters' in the Universe news No The Russian spacecraft Luna-25 crashes into the lunar surface However, according to the authors, they have not found archaeological signs that indicated any kind of hierarchy. Still, all signs point to the fact that these early pastoralists and ranchers on the border between Europe and Asia were patrilocal societies. "The evolution of family structures in prehistoric Europe has been the subject of great interest and much speculation since the second half of the 19th century," the authors point out. Although older approaches emphasized an early divergence in family structures between East and West, more recent ethnohistorical research suggests a continuity across Bronze Age Eurasia due to similar production systems and comparable modes of owning and transmitting properties". That is, the differences between families between both continents may not be as marked as we thought. . The genome revealed that life expectancy was quite low: 27.8 years for women and 36.2 for men. We found that life expectancy was generally very low, with adult men living on average 8 years longer than women. A total of 35 first-degree, 40 second-degree, and 48 third-degree biological relationships connected 23 of the individuals studied, allowing us to propose a three-generation family tree with six siblings at the center. The eldest of these brothers had eight children with two women and most of the children overall, while the other relationships were monogamous. In particular, related girls over the age of five were completely absent from the site, and adult females were more genetically diverse than males. These results suggest that biological relationships between male siblings played a structural role in society and that descent group membership was based on patrilineality. Women originated from a larger mating network and moved to join the men, with whom they were buried. Finally, the older brother probably occupied a higher social position, which was expressed in terms of fertility. Researchers reconstruct the family structure of a herding community in central Eurasia dating back 3,800 years. Little is known about the social and family structure of Bronze Age Eurasian societies at the level of local communities. Jens Blöcher, Joachim Burger and their colleagues combined anthropological, archaeological and paleogenetic data from 32 individuals from a 3,800-year-old burial mound in the southern Ural region of present-day Russia to explore ancestry, marriage and marriage practices. residence of individuals. . The authors report that the community subsisted primarily by herding cattle. The average life expectancy of adults was about 27.8 years for women and 36.2 years for men. The genomic analysis identified 35 first-degree, 40 second-degree, and 48 third-degree biological relationships among 23 individuals. The authors reconstructed a possible family tree composed of six brothers and their wives, children and grandchildren. The eldest brother had a total of eight children with two women, possibly reflecting high social status, while the other relationships were monogamous. Adult women were more genetically diverse than men. Sisters and girls over five years old were absent. The findings are consistent with a patrilineal descent system and suggest that women moved to live and be buried with their husbands. According to the authors, the results provide insight into the kinship practices of Bronze Age Eurasia. while the other relationships were monogamous. Adult women were more genetically diverse than men. Sisters and girls over five years old were absent. The findings are consistent with a patrilineal descent system and suggest that women moved to live and be buried with their husbands. According to the authors, the results provide insight into the kinship practices of Bronze Age Eurasia. while the other relationships were monogamous. Adult women were more genetically diverse than men. Sisters and girls over five years old were absent. The findings are consistent with a patrilineal descent system and suggest that women moved to live and be buried with their husbands. According to the authors, the results provide insight into the kinship practices of Bronze Age Eurasia.
