Ancient genomes reveal the genetic origins and social structure of the Shimao population.

Shimao site located at the pastoral-agricultural transition zone of northern Shaanxi, China, with its massive fortification systems and rich sacrificial remains, exemplifies the social complexity of an early state society. However, the origins of its population, social structure, and interactions with neighboring cultures have long been subjects of academic debate. To address these questions, a research team led by Qiaomei Fu from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Archaeology and other institutions, conducted a 13-year systematic study. They performed large-scale, systematic paleogenomic analyses on 169 ancient human skeletal remains from the core Shimao site, its peripheral settlements, and the southern Shanxi region. Breakthroughs were achieved in three key aspects. The study confirmed that the genetic composition of the Shimao population derived mainly from local Late Yangshao populations in northern Shaanxi, demonstrating genetic continuity with earlier local inhabitants. It also revealed close genetic affinities between the Shimao and Taosi populations in southern Shanxi, as well as significant genetic connections with steppe pastoralists associated with the Yumin culture and southern rice-farming communities. Most importantly, the study firstly and successfully reconstructed a four-generation family pedigree within the Shimao site, indicating that Shimao society was patrilineal and highly stratified. This study not only provides an unprecedented model for understanding the formation of early states in China but also offers direct genetic evidence for exploring power inheritance and social stratification in early East Asian states.XueJia-YangJYKey Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.ChenZe-HuiZHKey Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.Key Scientific Research Base on Paleolithic Human Evolution and Paleogenetics (IVPP), SACH, Beijing 100044, China.PingWan-JingWJKey Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.FuQiao-MeiQMKey Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.Key Scientific Research Base on Paleolithic Human Evolution and Paleogenetics (IVPP), SACH, Beijing 100044, China.engJournal ArticleHistorical ArticleChinaYi Chuan94364780253-97720DNA, AncientIMHumansChinaDNA, AncientanalysisGenome, HumanAsian PeoplegeneticsGenetics, PopulationArchaeology石峁遗址地处陕北农牧交错带，其宏大的城防体系与丰富的祭祀遗存展现了早期国家社会的复杂面貌，但其人群的来源、社会结构及其与周边文化的互动关系，一直是学界争论的焦点。为探究这些问题，中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所付巧妹团队联合陕西省考古研究院等机构历经13年系统研究，对来自石峁核心遗址、周边聚落及晋南地区共169例古代人骨开展了大规模系统性的古基因组分析，在以下三个方面获得突破：证实了石峁文化人群的遗传成分源于陕北本地的仰韶晚期人群，其与本地年代较早的人群间存在遗传连续性；发现了石峁文化人群与晋南陶寺文化人群之前具有紧密的遗传联系，并与北方草原地区的裕民成分相关人群、南方稻作农业人群之间存在着密切关联；首次成功重构了石峁遗址内部横跨四代的家族谱系，表明石峁社会是一个以父系血缘为主导、具有严格社会等级的社会。该研究不仅为理解中国早期国家的形成提供了前所未有的社会组织范本，更从遗传学层面为探索东亚早期国家的权力继承与阶层构成提供了直接证据。.