Latest news with #Çatalhöyük
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Archaeologists make surprising discovery at hidden ancient city site
Archaeologists have uncovered a bombshell at a hidden ancient city that had been buried for thousands of years - evidence that women, not men, may have ruled society there 9,000 years ago. The discovery could rewrite what we know about the earliest days of civilization and about gender roles throughout history. In a landmark study published in Science, researchers analyzing ancient DNA from nearly 400 skeletons at Çatalhöyük, a remarkably well-preserved Neolithic settlement in southern Turkey, revealed powerful clues that this early civilization was built around maternal ancestry, possibly operating under a matriarchal system. Çatalhöyük, a warren of mudbrick homes and goddess-like statues dating back to 9000 BCE, has long been a source of mystery and wonder. But the DNA analysis turned those legends into hard science, showing that women were buried with far more grave goods than men - and that daughters stayed with their maternal households, while sons often left. The astonishing find has electrified the archaeological world, challenging generations of assumptions about who held power in humanity's earliest cities and suggesting that the world's first great urban cultures may have rested on the shoulders of women. This remarkable Neolithic city has long fascinated scholars for its sprawling homes, elaborate art, and mysterious goddess-like figurines. But the latest genetic evidence has jolted the field of archaeology with clues that women were not only the spiritual symbols of Çatalhöyük but may have been its true rulers. In a painstaking investigation spanning more than a decade, a team of geneticists, archaeologists, and biological anthropologists extracted DNA from the skeletons of over 130 people buried beneath the floors of 35 separate houses at the site. In total, nearly 400 individuals have been recovered in graves at Çatalhöyük, a city once bustling with life for more than a thousand years. What they found was extraordinary: a strong genetic pattern showing maternal connections within the buildings. Women and their daughters were consistently buried together, while men seemed to arrive from outside, suggesting they married into the households of their wives. Researchers believe that as many as 70 to 100 percent of female offspring stayed attached to their maternal homes across generations, while males moved away. And the evidence of women's elevated status does not end there. Grave goods such as precious ornaments, tools, and other offerings were found five times more often in female burials than in male ones, a clear sign of preferential treatment and status in death that mirrored social power in life. Dr. Eline Schotsmans, a co-author of the study and research fellow at the University of Wollongong's School of Science in Australia, urged modern audiences to rethink outdated assumptions about ancient gender roles. The idea that a Neolithic city could have been matriarchal is not new in myth or folklore. The research is a culmination of 31 years of excavation and the analysis and marks one of the most important geological studies in recent history In total, nearly 400 individuals have been recovered in graves at Çatalhöyük, a city once bustling with life for more than a thousand years. Bones found at the site can be seen above Çatalhöyük's iconic clay statues depicting rounded, powerful female figures have long teased the possibility of a society with women at the helm. But this new DNA evidence offers the first scientifically grounded window into how such a social structure might have worked in practice. The implications go far beyond Turkey. Only months ago, a separate team of researchers studying the late Iron Age in Britain published evidence in Nature showing that women in Celtic communities also held powerful positions through maternal kinship. Analyzing DNA from 57 graves in Dorset, scientists revealed that two-thirds of the buried individuals came from a single maternal lineage - suggesting that women maintained community ties while men likely migrated in after marriage.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient city possibly ruled by females over 9,000 years ago, researchers say
An ancient city was most likely ruled by females living in a "matriarchal society" more than 9,000 years ago, according to a study published in Science this week. Researchers extracted the ancient genomes of more than 130 skeletons from 35 different houses at Çatalhöyük, an ancient city considered one of the most well-preserved Neolithic settlements in southern Anatolia in Turkey. About 395 skeletons, a mix of males and females, were found in grave pits under the floors of the city's mudbrick houses. Occupied for more than 1,000 years (9000 to 8000 BCE), the city was known for its female figurines, possible representatives of a "Mother Goddess" cult and signs of a matriarchal society. A team of geneticists, archaeologists, and biological anthropologists used cutting-edge technology to analyze the DNA of skeletons over 12 years and found that maternal lineage had a key role in connecting household members, as represented by burials within each building. During the early years in Çatalhöyük, family members were buried together, but over time, habits changed, and researchers found many of the dead had no biological connection. Where there was a genetic connection, it was through the female line, suggesting husbands relocated to the wife's household upon marriage, researchers said. Using genetic sequencing, researchers estimated that 70 to 100% of the time, female offspring remained connected to buildings, whereas adult male offspring may have moved away. There was also a clear pattern of preferential treatment toward females, with findings showing five times more grave goods offered to females than to males. "We need to move away from our Western bias that assumes all societies are patrilineal. Many cultures, including some Indigenous Australian groups, pass identity, land rights, and responsibilities through the mother's line — a matrilineal system," study co-author Dr. Eline Schotsmans, a research fellow at Australia's University of Wollongong's School of Science, said in a statement. These findings come several months after researchers studying social networks in Celtic society in Britain before the Roman invasion gathered genetic evidence from a late Iron Age cemetery and found that women were closely related, while unrelated men tended to come into the community from elsewhere, likely after marriage. Using an examination of ancient DNA recovered from 57 graves in Dorset in southwest England, their study, published in the journal Nature, shows that two-thirds of the individuals were descended from a single maternal lineage. This suggests that women had some control of land and property, as well as strong social support, researchers said. Researchers said upon the release of their findings, "It is possible that maternal ancestry was the primary shaper of group identities." Breaking down major Supreme Court ruling on nationwide injunctions Saturday Sessions: Gordi performs "Lunch at Dune" Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez set for star-studded wedding in Venice
CBS News
28-06-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Ancient city possibly ruled by females living in a "matriarchal society" more than 9,000 years ago, researchers say
An ancient city was most likely ruled by females living in a "matriarchal society" more than 9,000 years ago, according to a study published in Science this week. Researchers extracted the ancient genomes of more than 130 skeletons from 35 different houses at Çatalhöyük, an ancient city considered one of the most well-preserved Neolithic settlements in southern Anatolia in Turkey. About 395 skeletons, a mix of males and females, were found in grave pits under the floors of the city's mudbrick houses. Occupied for more than 1,000 years (9000 to 8000 BCE), the city was known for its female figurines, possible representatives of a "Mother Goddess" cult and signs of a matriarchal society. A team of geneticists, archaeologists, and biological anthropologists used cutting-edge technology to analyze the DNA of skeletons over 12 years and found that maternal lineage had a key role in connecting household members, as represented by burials within each building. During the early years in Çatalhöyük, family members were buried together, but over time, habits changed, and researchers found many of the dead had no biological connection. Where there was a genetic connection, it was through the female line, suggesting husbands relocated to the wife's household upon marriage, researchers said. An excavation site is seen at the ancient city of Çatalhöyük. Serhat Cetinkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images Using genetic sequencing, researchers estimated that 70 to 100% of the time, female offspring remained connected to buildings, whereas adult male offspring may have moved away. There was also a clear pattern of preferential treatment toward females, with findings showing five times more grave goods offered to females than to males. "We need to move away from our Western bias that assumes all societies are patrilineal. Many cultures, including some Indigenous Australian groups, pass identity, land rights, and responsibilities through the mother's line — a matrilineal system," study co-author Dr. Eline Schotsmans, a research fellow at Australia's University of Wollongong's School of Science, said in a statement. These findings come several months after researchers studying social networks in Celtic society in Britain before the Roman invasion gathered genetic evidence from a late Iron Age cemetery and found that women were closely related, while unrelated men tended to come into the community from elsewhere, likely after marriage. Using an examination of ancient DNA recovered from 57 graves in Dorset in southwest England, their study, published in the journal Nature, shows that two-thirds of the individuals were descended from a single maternal lineage. This suggests that women had some control of land and property, as well as strong social support, researchers said. Researchers said upon the release of their findings, "It is possible that maternal ancestry was the primary shaper of group identities." contributed to this report.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient 'female-centered' society thrived 9,000 years ago in proto-city in Turkey
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. 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 society. "With Çatalhöyük, we now have the oldest genetically-inferred social organisation pattern in food-producing societies," study co-author Mehmet Somel, an evolutionary geneticist at Middle East Technical University in Turkey, told Live Science in an email. "Which turns out to be female-centered." The new research was published Thursday (June 26) in the journal Science. Located in south-central Turkey, Çatalhöyük was built around 7100 B.C. and was occupied for nearly 1,000 years. The vast settlement — spread over 32.5 acres (13.2 hectares) — is known for its houses that were entered from the roofs, burials beneath the house floors, and elaborate symbolism that included vivid murals and a diverse array of female figurines. When archaeologist James Mellaart first excavated Çatalhöyük in the early 1960s, he interpreted the numerous female figurines as evidence of a matriarchal society that practiced "mother goddess" worship, perhaps as a way of ensuring a good harvest following a major economic transition from foraging to cereal-based agriculture. In the 1990s, Stanford archaeologist Ian Hodder took over excavations at Çatalhöyük, and his research suggested instead that the society was largely egalitarian, without meaningful social or economic differences between men and women. Related: Rare, neolithic 'goddess' figurine discovered in Turkey To further investigate the social organization at Çatalhöyük, in a new study, a team of researchers that included both Somel and Hodder analyzed the DNA of 131 skeletons dated to between 7100 and 5800 B.C. that were buried beneath house floors. The researchers connected 109 people across 31 buildings and found that all first-degree relatives (parents, children and siblings) were buried together in the same building, while second-degree (uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and grandparents) and third-degree relatives (such as first cousins and great grandparents) were often buried in nearby buildings. This suggests that nuclear or extended families had a role in structuring Çatalhöyük households, the researchers wrote in the study. But there was another interesting trend in the intergenerational connections among house burials, the researchers noted: They were based primarily on maternal lineages. "We weren't particularly looking for these maternal connections within buildings," Somel said, but "it clearly shows that male-centered practices people have often documented in Neolithic and Bronze Age Europe were not universal." Ancient DNA analysis also revealed the biological sex of infants and young children, which is not possible to do based on skeletons alone until after puberty. Once these children's biological sex was determined, the researchers identified a female-linked trend in grave goods. "The pattern of more burial gifts for female babies was also not something we were expecting," Somel said. Çatalhöyük is the oldest society where DNA evidence has revealed a female-centered social organization. "To my knowledge, this constitutes the first systematic evidence of such a continuously matrilineally organised Neolithic community," Jens Notroff, an archaeologist at the German Archaeological Institute who was not involved in the research, told Live Science in an email. "We preferred using 'female-centered' instead of matrilineal because the latter is about how people define kin," Somel said. "Çatalhöyük households could have been matrilineal, but we think using more general terms might be preferable. It is always good to be cautious," he said. But Benjamin Arbuckle, an archaeologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was not involved in the study, wrote in a perspective in Science that "if the sex patterns were reversed, there would likely be little hesitation in concluding that patriarchal power structures were at play." RELATED STORIES —Were the Celts matriarchal? Ancient DNA reveals men married into local, powerful female lineages —Women likely ruled in Stone Age China, DNA analysis of 4,500-year-old skeletons reveals —First Neolithic city was so overcrowded people started trying to kill each other "This is reflective of the difficulty that many scholars have in imagining a world characterized by substantial female power despite abundant archaeological, historic, and ethnographic evidence that matriarchal fields of power were and are widespread," Arbuckle said. Çatalhöyük now stands in stark contrast to the patrilineal patterns seen in Neolithic Europe, Notroff said, which "raises the intriguing question of when, how, and why such a profound shift in social organisation occurred." Analyzing skeletons from Çatalhöyük to understand social relationships is just the beginning, Somel said. Figuring out whether or not this site is unique is an important next step. "We are now producing similar data from earlier societies from the region," he said, "so hopefully we'll have an answer soon!"
