Recent research indicates that familial relationships among women were fundamental in the social structures of Celtic society in Britain prior to the Roman invasion. This conclusion is drawn from genetic analysis of a late Iron Age burial site, which reveals that women were frequently part of closely-knit familial networks, while the men were often newcomers to these communities, likely resulting from marriage.
The investigation into ancient DNA from 57 graves at a cemetery in Dorset, dating from approximately 100 B.C. to 200 A.D., uncovered that around 66% of the individuals belonged to a common maternal lineage. Study co-author Lara Cassidy, a geneticist from Trinity College Dublin, described the discovery as remarkable, stating that such a trend had not been observed before in European prehistoric contexts.
The research, which was published in the journal Nature, provides insights into the societal roles of women, suggesting that they remained within their familial networks throughout their lives. This permanence likely afforded them the opportunity to manage or inherit land and property. Conversely, it appears that husbands typically joined their wives’ families, relying on them for land and livelihood, a dynamic that challenges the standard historical view.
This social structure, known as matrilocality, is considered rare in historical contexts. Archaeological evidence previously indicated that women generally relocated to their husbands’ families across various periods, from the Neolithic era to the early Medieval period. According to Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, who was not involved in the current study, this new data shifts previously held notions of female roles in ancient societies.
Anthropological studies of pre-industrial societies from 1800 to the present indicate that only 8% of men join their wives’ extended family households, marking the Celtic society’s unique structure as a significant exception. Archaeological findings have consistently indicated that women in Iron Age Britain played a vital role within their communities. The various tribes, often referred to as Celtic, exhibited shared languages and artistic expressions before the Roman invasion in 43 A.D. Notably, valuable items have been discovered in burials with Celtic women, while historical references, including those from Julius Caesar, have pointed to their independence and martial ability.
While the findings do not necessarily indicate that women held formal political authority or a matriarchal system, they imply that women possessed some degree of control over land and property, along with substantial social backing. This arrangement suggests that Celtic society was potentially more egalitarian compared to the Roman world, as articulated by Miles Russell, an archaeologist from Bournemouth University who co-authored the study.
