Ancient DNA reveals a chilling secret at China’s 4,000-year-old Shimao city
Ancient DNA analysis of remains from the Shimao site in China reveals insights into the social structure and origins of the Neolithic population. The study confirms that the society was highly stratified and practiced human sacrifice.
Ancient DNA is revealing new details about the people who lived at Shimao, one of the most important late Neolithic settlements in China. The findings, published in Nature , clarify the population's origins, family relationships, and social organization. They also identify genetic connections with communities farther south and provide evidence that mass burials linked to human sacrifice at the site largely contained men.
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