Land was inherited by women in iron age Britain

A study has found evidence that land was inherited through the female line in iron age Britain, with husbands moving to live with their wife’s community.

An international team of geneticists, led by those from Trinity College Dublin, with archaeologists from Bournemouth University are deciphering the structure of British iron age society.

Using ancient genomes, it was revealed that a society was centred on women, which is believed to be the first time such a system has been documented in European prehistory.

Assistant professor in Trinity’s Department of Genetics Dr Lara Cassidy, who led the study, explained how the genomes were found.

“This was the cemetery of a large kin group. We reconstructed a family tree with many different branches and found most members traced their maternal lineage back to a single woman, who would have lived centuries before. In contrast, relationships through the father’s line were almost absent,” she said.

"This tells us that husbands moved to join their wives’ communities upon marriage, with land potentially passed down through the female line."

Female-centred society

The researchers sequenced DNA from many members of a single community, retrieving over 50 ancient genomes from a set of burial grounds in Dorset, southern England, in use before and after the Roman conquest of AD43.

The team found that this type of social organisation, termed “matrilocality”, was not just restricted to Dorset.

Using data from prior genetic surveys of iron age Britain and, although sample numbers from other cemeteries were smaller, they saw the same pattern emerge again.

Professor of Population Genetics in Trinity’s Department of Genetics Dan Bradley, a co-author of the study, said that the cemeteries they searched had mostly individuals that were maternally descended from a small set of female ancestors.

“In Yorkshire, for example, one dominant matriline had been established before 400BC. To our surprise, this was a widespread phenomenon with deep roots on the island.”

Well-preserved burials

Iron age cemeteries with well-preserved burials are rare in Britain. However, due to the unique burial customs of the people who lived in Dorset, the site remained in a better condition.

The researchers sampled DNA from a site near the village of Winterborne Kingston, nicknamed Duropolis, which archaeologists from Bournemouth University have been excavating since 2009.

Previously, the team had observed the more richly furnished Durotrigan burials to be those of women.

Excavation director and co-author on the study Dr Miles Russell added that Greek and Roman writers around this time are not always considered the most trustworthy.

“When the Romans arrived, they were astonished to find women occupying positions of power. Two of the earliest recorded rulers were queens, Boudica and Cartimandua, who commanded armies,” he said.

“It’s been suggested that the Romans exaggerated the liberties of British women to paint a picture of an untamed society.

“But archaeology, and now genetics, implies women were influential in many spheres of iron age life. Indeed, it is possible that maternal ancestry was the primary shaper of group identities.”