US EditionNew Study Debunks Incestuous Royal Elite Theory in Neolithic Ireland
BOYNE VALLEY, COUNTY MEATH, IRELAND, JUN 24 – New genetic and archaeological evidence shows Newgrange burials were communal with no proof of royal dynasty or hereditary elite, challenging earlier incest-based elite theories.
- Researchers from University College Dublin published a study on June 22, 2025, analyzing burials at the Neolithic Newgrange tomb in Ireland's Boyne Valley.
- This study challenges earlier claims that NG10, a 5,000-year-old skull fragment, belonged to an incestuous elite ruling class hypothesized from prior DNA analysis.
- Newgrange is a large circular mound built by stone age farmers around 3100 BCE, featuring a 19m inner passage that lights the chamber at winter solstice, reflecting ancient astronomical knowledge.
- Associate Professors Jessica Smyth and Neil Carlin argue the evidence shows selected burials without widespread incest or social hierarchy, stating, "There was no 'King' of Newgrange."
- The study implies Neolithic Irish society was more communal and egalitarian, with no corroborating economic or social elite found at Newgrange or surrounding settlements.
20 Articles
20 Articles
A few years ago, a skull fragment was found in Ireland, from which archaeologists drew significant conclusions. Now, a new team has reexamined the Newgrange finds.
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