Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in China
Summary: Family cemeteries from historical periods often follow structured burial patterns, but identifying these arrangements is challenging due to limited written records and ambiguities in archaeological interpretation. Archaeogenetics provides a precise means to determine biological kinship, ena...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | iScience |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225012295 |
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| author | Jincheng Wang Tianming Zhang Xiaowen Jia Zihan Zhang Jianing He Chao Ning Jihong Wang Tingyu Yang Guanbo Wang Yuhong Pang Yanyi Huang |
| author_facet | Jincheng Wang Tianming Zhang Xiaowen Jia Zihan Zhang Jianing He Chao Ning Jihong Wang Tingyu Yang Guanbo Wang Yuhong Pang Yanyi Huang |
| author_sort | Jincheng Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Family cemeteries from historical periods often follow structured burial patterns, but identifying these arrangements is challenging due to limited written records and ambiguities in archaeological interpretation. Archaeogenetics provides a precise means to determine biological kinship, enabling the reconstruction of social relationships and burial customs. Here, we analyzed ancient DNA and contextual data from 34 individuals at Qianweigou, a Ming-Qing dynasty cemetery in Beijing, reconstructing a six-generation patrilineal pedigree. The genomic data revealed strict patrilineal burial customs, with spouses jointly interred and a non-random west-to-east spatial arrangement reflecting generational chronology. Each generation occupied distinct positions, forming an echelon-like burial pattern. This study demonstrates how genetic data can clarify historical kinship organization, refining hypotheses about Ming-Qing burial customs and advancing our understanding of familial structures in late imperial China. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e476161ca6bf4a86b493c463f7dc2acb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj-art-e476161ca6bf4a86b493c463f7dc2acb2025-08-20T03:16:08ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422025-07-0128711296810.1016/j.isci.2025.112968Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in ChinaJincheng Wang0Tianming Zhang1Xiaowen Jia2Zihan Zhang3Jianing He4Chao Ning5Jihong Wang6Tingyu Yang7Guanbo Wang8Yuhong Pang9Yanyi Huang10Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaPeking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaSchool of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaBeijing Institute of Archaeology, Beijing 100009, ChinaSchool of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaSchool of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaBeijing Institute of Archaeology, Beijing 100009, ChinaBiomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaBiomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Institute for Cell Analysis, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Guangdong 528107, ChinaBiomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Corresponding authorBiomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Institute for Cell Analysis, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Guangdong 528107, China; Corresponding authorSummary: Family cemeteries from historical periods often follow structured burial patterns, but identifying these arrangements is challenging due to limited written records and ambiguities in archaeological interpretation. Archaeogenetics provides a precise means to determine biological kinship, enabling the reconstruction of social relationships and burial customs. Here, we analyzed ancient DNA and contextual data from 34 individuals at Qianweigou, a Ming-Qing dynasty cemetery in Beijing, reconstructing a six-generation patrilineal pedigree. The genomic data revealed strict patrilineal burial customs, with spouses jointly interred and a non-random west-to-east spatial arrangement reflecting generational chronology. Each generation occupied distinct positions, forming an echelon-like burial pattern. This study demonstrates how genetic data can clarify historical kinship organization, refining hypotheses about Ming-Qing burial customs and advancing our understanding of familial structures in late imperial China.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225012295Evolutionary biologyPaleobiologyAnthropology |
| spellingShingle | Jincheng Wang Tianming Zhang Xiaowen Jia Zihan Zhang Jianing He Chao Ning Jihong Wang Tingyu Yang Guanbo Wang Yuhong Pang Yanyi Huang Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in China iScience Evolutionary biology Paleobiology Anthropology |
| title | Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in China |
| title_full | Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in China |
| title_fullStr | Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in China |
| title_short | Genomic profiling of a six-generation patrilineal family of the Ming-Qing dynasties in China |
| title_sort | genomic profiling of a six generation patrilineal family of the ming qing dynasties in china |
| topic | Evolutionary biology Paleobiology Anthropology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225012295 |
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