Building tombs and entombing the dead as technologies of descent and affinity in Neolithic northern Scotland
Abstract
When grounded within relevant archaeological contexts, ancient DNA analysis can provide critical insights into prehistoric human populations. This is demonstrated in this article, where the authors examine the genetic relatedness of individuals whose remains were placed in five Neolithic tombs in Caithness and Orkney, northern Scotland. The results reveal a web of biological ties that, the authors argue, suggests sustained contact between these communities beyond the onset of the Neolithic and shared understandings of kinship, including descent and a sense of affinity, but emerging local differences in how kinship was materialised through monumental architecture.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
Forensic and Genetic Research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Antiquity
- Publisher
- Antiquity Publications
- Volume
- 100
- Issue
- 410
- Pages
- 324–339
- Publication date
- 1 April 2026
- Language
- EN