US EditionDNA Analysis Suggests Matriarchal Society in Neolithic Settlement at Çatalhöyük
- On Thursday, June 26, researchers published in Science findings revealing that the 9,000-year-old Çatalhöyük site in Turkey was a female-centered society based on genetic evidence.
- DNA from 131 skeletons dated 7100–5800 BCE reveals kinship patterns, showing first-degree relatives buried together, indicating family-based household structures at Çatalhöyük.
- DNA analysis of 131 skeletons shows first-degree relatives buried together, with female infants receiving more grave goods, indicating female-centered social organization in Çatalhöyük.
- The findings challenge Hodder’s egalitarian view and contrast with patrilineal Neolithic Europe, highlighting ongoing debates over social organization and female power in early societies.
- Somel stated the team plans DNA analysis of earlier societies to test if the female-centered pattern was unique, aiming to deepen understanding of social evolution.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Ancient 'female-centered' society thrived 9,000 years ago in...
Genetic analysis of skeletons buried in a Neolithic proto-city in Turkey reveals that female lineages were important in early agricultural societies. Ancient DNA from Stone Age burials in Turkey has finally put to rest a decades-long debate about whether the 9,000-year-old proto-city of Çatalhöyük was a matriarchal society. The research finally confirms what experts have long suspected: Women and girls were key figures in this agricultural socie…
DNA analysis suggests matriarchal society in Neolithic settlement at Çatalhöyük
What was life like some 8,000–9,000 years ago for the people on the East Mound at Çatalhöyük, an important Neolithic settlement in central Anatolia? And what role did women hold in their society?
DNA from Prehistoric Proto-City Reveals 'Surprising' Signs of Female-Centered Society
🌘Subscribe to 404 Media to get The Abstract, our newsletter about the most exciting and mind-boggling science news and studies of the week. Çatalhöyük, a settlement in Turkey that dates back more than 9,000 years, has attracted intense interest for its structural complexity and hints of an egalitarian and possibly matriarchal society. But it’s not clear how residents were genetically related in what is considered to be one of the world’s oldest…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
