Wang Jincheng, Zhang Tianming, Jia Xiaowen, Zhang Zihan, He Jianing, Ning Chao, Wang Jihong, Yang Tingyu, Wang Guanbo, Pang Yuhong, Huang Yanyi
Biomedical 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.
iScience. 2025 Jun 19;28(7):112968. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112968. eCollection 2025 Jul 18.
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.
历史时期的家族墓地通常遵循结构化的埋葬模式，但由于书面记录有限以及考古解释存在模糊性，识别这些安排具有挑战性。古基因学提供了一种确定生物学亲属关系的精确方法，能够重建社会关系和埋葬习俗。在这里，我们分析了来自北京明清时期墓地前苇沟34个人的古代DNA和背景数据，重建了一个六代父系谱系。基因组数据揭示了严格的父系埋葬习俗，配偶合葬，并且从西到东的非随机空间排列反映了代际顺序。每一代占据不同的位置，形成一种梯队状的埋葬模式。这项研究展示了遗传数据如何能够阐明历史亲属组织，完善关于明清埋葬习俗的假设，并推进我们对帝制晚期中国家族结构的理解。
