patriarchy

Strong maternal lines recovered from ancient DNA samples at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, along with archaeological evidence of female-centered practice, points to a socio-cultural practice of matriarchy! Was it egalitarian? Matrilineal? Or just something other than what the modern eye can comprehend and read? The genetic time capsules buried underneath the floors are rewriting the history of early civilization. In the arid steppes of inner Anatolia, the ancient city of Çatalhöyük, the world’s first proto-city was littered with common hearths and goddess figurines. A fascinating new paper published in Science unveils DNA data from more than a hundred skeletons unearthed at Çatalhöyük, yielding a rich social tapestry sewn by women. This population, thriving between 7100 and 5800 BC, bears