Lucky guy.
RE: They found that 27 of them were descended from four women who all had children with the same man.
Reply: Lucky guy.
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Man in US city: Say what? I’m shonuff worn out running away from process servers for child support from only two women.
Maybe guys were faster runners back then.
Means he had three ex-wives!
it might not have been all at once. Women often died in childbirth not too long ago and a man would simply marry again.
And since they were buried with honor, one should presume they were wives or concubines not slaves.
Or given the high death rate in childbirth, it might be one after another.
Actually a tribal leader might have lots of wives, to show status. In some societies, men have a high mortality from hunting accidents or war, these extra women might be married by the chief, especially if they are widows,so that they and their other children wouldn't starve to death. And of course young women might prefer living a leisurely life as a third wife instead of marrying a poor schmuck.
Finally, many tribes have taboos against intercourse when the wife is pregnant or breast feeding, because if a woman gets pregnant her breast milk dries up and the baby dies. And they might breast feed 2 to 4 years.
African proverb: poor guy, 4 wives, all pregnant or nursing. He might as well be single.