New genetic evidence suggests that female family ties were central to social structures in pre-Roman Britain, offering a fresh perspective on Celtic society and its gender dynamics.
An analysis of ancient DNA from a late Iron Age cemetery in Dorset, southwest England, has shown that women in these communities were closely related, while men were likely newcomers, arriving through marriage.
The study, published Wednesday in Nature magazine, examined 57 graves from a site dating back to between 100 B.C. and 200 A.D. and found that two-thirds of the individuals traced their lineage to a single maternal ancestor.
The discovery sheds light on a practice known as matrilocality, where women remained within their maternal communities throughout life, preserving strong family networks and potentially managing property and land.
In contrast, men, often newcomers to these networks, would rely on their wives' families for support, land, and livelihood.
Experts say the pattern flips conventional assumptions about family structures in ancient times.
Historically, such a pattern is rare. In most ancient societies, anthropologists have found that women typically joined their husband's family after marriage, a trend that remained consistent from the Neolithic period through to the early Medieval era.
This shift is also evident in more recent pre-industrial societies, where men typically stayed with their own families, joining their wives' kin only in about 8 percent of cases, experts said.
The findings add nuance to the understanding of gender roles in Iron Age Britain, a time when Celtic tribes, speaking closely related languages and sharing similar art and cultural practices, dominated the British Isles.
Historical records, including those of Julius Caesar, have long noted the distinctive roles women played in Celtic society, praising their independence and fighting abilities, but also reflecting Roman disdain for these cultural norms.
While the study does not suggest that these Celtic communities operated under a formal matriarchy -- where women held political power -- the researchers believe the findings point to a society in which women held substantial sway over property and resources.
Lara Cassidy, a geneticist at Trinity College Dublin and co-author of the study, said: "This was a truly remarkable finding, something never observed before in European prehistory. It challenges previous assumptions about prehistoric kinship structures."
Co-author Miles Russell, an archaeologist at Bournemouth University, said: "The evidence suggests that women had greater control over land and property than previously believed. This makes Celtic Britain appear more egalitarian compared to the patriarchal Roman world."
The discovery emphasizes the important role of women in shaping the social and economic fabric of Iron Age Britain, offering a different lens through which to view the gender dynamics of early European societies and paving the way for further research.
This article contains additional reporting from the Associated Press.
Cassidy, L.M., Russell, M., Smith, M. et al. Continental influx and pervasive matrilocality in Iron Age Britain. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08409-6