What other archaeological elements at Shimao, beyond the burials, support the hypothesis of such a structured hierarchical society at that early time?
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Ancient Chinese DNA shows gender bias in human sacrifice ritual 4,000 years ago Female sacrifice in China dates back thousands of years earlier than previously believed, a study of ancient DNA has revealed. Evidence from elite burials at a large Stone Age settlement in northwestern China also suggests the existence of an early hierarchical society, with gender preference relating to the type of sacrificial ritual, according to the Chinese archaeologists and anthropologists behind the study. Shimao, located in the Yellow River valley in Shaanxi province, is one of the... image https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334599/ancient-chinese-dna-shows-gender-bias-human-sacrifice-ritual-4000-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed
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The discovery is not just backdating a practice, but revealing a sophisticated social control system where the gendered use of human sacrifice was a tool to consolidate and symbolize the power of an emerging elite.