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.
Why it matters
Genetic research into ancient civilizations helps reconstruct human history and the development of complex social organizations.
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.
The project was led by Prof. Qiaomei Fu of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Researchers from the Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Archaeology and several other institutions also contributed to the work.
Over 13 years, the team conducted large-scale, high-resolution analyses of nuclear DNA from 169 ancient human samples (144 unrelated individuals). The remains came from Shimao, nearby archaeological sites, and locations in the southern Shanxi region.
A Vast Walled Settlement in Ancient China
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