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In ancient Ireland, around 5,000 years ago, the notion that an incestuous social elite ruled over the people was questioned by new research. The study examined DNA evidence from burials at Newgrange, a prehistoric monument, which previously led to speculation about a ruling class or royal family being buried there.

Researchers analyzed a bone skull fragment found in the chamber and discovered that it belonged to an individual who was likely born of incestuous relationships, but also distantly related to others buried in the same tomb. This finding suggested that only certain individuals were buried in the chamber, implying they held special positions in society.

However, researchers from the University of York and University College Dublin have now shown that there is no evidence of an elite class existing economically or socially among nearby settlements, dietary practices, or trade. They believe that ancient Irish society was more equal, as evidenced by shared resources, similar dwellings, and a lack of large settlement systems or trade mechanisms.

Professor Penny Bickle stated, “The evidence points to a much more collective ethos.” She added, “We can only begin to understand these monuments and tombs if we examine the social lives or the communities that built and used them.”

Newgrange is an ancient monument older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza, believed to have been built by a farming community in County Meath. The original burial place of the skull fragment, NG10, dated to 3340-3020 BC, was questioned, as its genetic clustering typically reflects distant biological relationships rather than close familial ties.

Associate Professor Jessica Smyth noted that people were selected for burial in passage tombs, but the reasons behind this selection are unknown. She also mentioned that bodies were broken down and mixed with cremated remains before being placed in megalithic monuments, making it unclear who the parents of certain individuals might have been.

Professor Penny Bickle concluded, “It is by no means clear that the monument was the first burial site of NG10.” She added, “As it stands, the incestuous origins of NG10 are a one-off compared to all of the DNA data we have for Neolithic Ireland.”

The research, published in Antiquity, suggests that ancient Irish society might have been more inclusive and equal than previously thought.

The Dartmouth-led study has made a groundbreaking discovery in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, uncovering a 1,000-year-old Native American farm system that challenges preconceived ideas about agriculture in the region. The Sixty Islands archaeological site along the Menominee River features a raised ridge field system dating back to around the 10th century to 1600. This is the most complete ancient agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States.

The researchers surveyed approximately 330 acres using drone-based lidar, which provided a dataset that revealed clusters of ridged garden beds ranging from 4 to 12 inches in height. These raised fields were used by ancestors of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin to grow corn, beans, squash, and other plants.

Lead author Madeleine McLeester noted that the scale of this agricultural system is 10 times larger than previously estimated, forcing a reconsideration of preconceived ideas about agriculture in the region and globally. The team’s findings also suggest that the ancestral Menominee communities were modifying the soil to rework the topography, using wetland soils to enrich the soil and remain from fires as compost.

The researchers conducted excavations at the site, recovering charcoal, broken ceramics, and artifacts, which suggested that remains from fires and household refuse were likely used as compost in the fields. The results showed that the farming system was a massive undertaking requiring organization, labor, and know-how to maximize agricultural productivity.

The findings have significant implications for our understanding of ancient agriculture in eastern North America and challenge existing forest history of the Upper Peninsula. The team is continuing their work with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin at the Menominee Sixty Islands site, planning to survey the site and locate ancestral Menominee villages.

This study demonstrates the importance of innovative technologies like drone-based lidar in uncovering hidden archaeological features and provides a unique window into pre-Colonial farming practices in the region. The discovery of this 1,000-year-old farm system serves as a reminder of the rich history and cultural heritage of the Native American communities that once thrived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The discovery of a 3,500-year-old cemetery in Hungary has shed new light on a pivotal period in Central European history. A team of international researchers, led by Tamás Hajdu and Claudio Cavazzuti, has conducted a comprehensive bioarchaeological investigation into the Bronze Age cemetery at Tiszafüred-Majoroshalom. The findings have rewritten our understanding of this era, revealing significant changes in people’s lives, diets, social systems, and even burial customs.

The multidisciplinary research was based on the excavation of a Bronze Age cemetery that was used during both the Middle Bronze Age (Füzesabony culture) and the Late Bronze Age (Tumulus culture). By comparing the subsistence strategies before and after this era-changing event, the researchers were able to identify key differences in people’s lifestyles.

The study aimed to answer whether the spread of the Tumulus culture was a result of new groups arriving or if it was simply an evolution of the autochtonous people’s way of life. The team also examined whether changes in settlement patterns around 1500 BC were indicative of a shift towards more mobile and pastoral lifestyles.

The results of this groundbreaking research are nothing short of revolutionary:

* Dietary changes: Nitrogen stable isotope studies revealed that people’s diets became more uniform but poorer during the Late Bronze Age, contradicting previous ideas about the Tumulus culture’s supposed focus on animal husbandry.
* Introduction of broomcorn millet: Carbon isotope analyses indicated that the consumption of this fast-growing and high-energy plant began at the start of the Late Bronze Age, marking the earliest known occurrence in Europe.
* Decreased mobility: Strontium isotope investigations showed that populations from the Middle and Late Bronze Ages had distinct mobility patterns. Fewer immigrants were identified during the Late Bronze Age, with a higher presence of individuals arriving from further geographical regions.

The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of this pivotal period in European history. By combining traditional archaeological and anthropological studies with modern bioarchaeological analyses, researchers can now better grasp the complex changes associated with the emergence of the Tumulus culture.