Proving that the worlds oldest profession had a disproportionate impact on the future of humanity.
Study Reveals Ancient Matrilineal Society in Neolithic China
"A recent study published in the journal Nature has unveiled a fascinating insight into a 4,500-year-old Neolithic society located in what is now eastern China, revealing that women played a central role within its social structure. Genetic analyses performed on skeletons unearthed at the Fujia site indicate the existence of a matrilineal system — a rarity in prehistoric East Asia — that likely endured for at least ten generations during the late Neolithic period. The study centers on the Fujia settlement, situated along the Yi-Luo River Basin. Excavations at the site have revealed over 500 burials across two distinct cemeteries adjacent to an ancient residential area, with burial dates ranging from 2750 to 2500 BCE. Researchers focused their genetic investigations on 60 individuals, analyzing DNA from both cemeteries to uncover insights about social organization. A key finding emerged from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data: all individuals from the northern cemetery shared a common maternal lineage. In comparison, the southern cemetery showed a separate maternal lineage prevalent among the majority of its occupants. Conversely, Y-chromosome data, inherited from fathers, revealed considerable diversity. This dichotomy suggests that women served as a consistent thread through generations, serving as social anchors, while men descended from varied paternal backgrounds."