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Ancient DNA of 57 Durotriges Reveals Matrilocal Celtic Society in Iron Age Britain

Jan 15, 2025, 05:28 PM

Ancient DNA analysis from a 2,000-year-old cemetery in Dorset, England, has provided evidence that Celtic society in Iron Age Britain was centered around women. Geneticists from Trinity College Dublin and archaeologists from Bournemouth University discovered that the Durotriges tribe, which occupied the central southern English coast from around 100 BC to AD 100, practiced matrilocality. This means that women stayed in their ancestral communities after marriage, while men moved to join their wives' families. The study, published in the journal Nature, revealed that more than two-thirds of the 57 individuals analyzed were maternally descended from a single female ancestor, indicating a strong maternal lineage. This pattern of matrilocality was not limited to Dorset but was observed in other Iron Age cemeteries across Britain, suggesting a widespread phenomenon. The findings support historical accounts and archaeological evidence that Celtic women held significant status and possibly political power, challenging the traditional view of patrilocal societies where women move to their husbands' communities.