A Gender Bias at Panoría: A 5,600-Year-Old Burial Mystery

Ancient Burial Practices Revealed

A recent study¹ at the Panoría megalithic necropolis in Granada, Spain, has unveiled a surprising gender bias in burials. The research, conducted by teams from the University of Tübingen and the University of Granada, shows that twice as many women as men were buried in the necropolis, with this imbalance becoming even more pronounced in juvenile remains, revealing a ten-to-one female-to-male ratio.

Located at the eastern end of Sierra Harana, the Panoría necropolis, used between 5,600 and 4,100 years ago, contains 19 graves, nine of which have been excavated. Over 55,000 skeletal remains have been recovered, providing an invaluable glimpse into the society and burial customs of this ancient population.

New Insights Through Bioarchaeological Techniques

By analyzing DNA and proteins such as Amelogenin from tooth enamel, researchers have created a demographic profile of those interred in Panoría’s graves. These analyses revealed a marked female bias that persisted throughout the use of the necropolis and across all age groups. Such a ratio is rare in human populations and usually appears in specific circumstances like warfare or migration.

The results have led to the conclusion that the over-representation of women cannot be attributed to random events but was likely a social decision influencing burial practices.

A Possible Matrilineal Society?

The researchers hypothesize that the gender bias reflects a matrilineal society, where family ties and social belonging were passed down through the maternal line. This theory is further supported by the near absence of young male individuals, who may have joined other social groups through male exogamy—a practice where males leave their birth community to marry and form ties with other kin groups.

This female-focused burial practice suggests that women held a central role in Panoría's social and cultural structure. While the exact reasons remain unknown, the overrepresentation of women in the necropolis implies that gender played a pivotal role in the society’s funerary traditions.

Conclusion

The findings at Panoría not only challenge the traditional view of burial practices in ancient societies but also provide valuable insights into gender roles and kinship systems. The pronounced female bias, especially among juveniles, points to a female-centered social structure where matrilineal descent governed burial customs. This discovery sheds light on the complexity and variability of gender dynamics in early human societies, offering a fresh perspective on how social organization influenced life—and death—in the prehistoric world.

1. Marta, D.-Z. B., Gonzalo, A. J., Margarita, S. R., Rosa, F., Katharina, R.-S., Fabian, K., Miriam, V. S., Sonia, R. C., Paula, B. F., Alejandra C., O., Michael, W., Javier, G. S., & Lara, M. G. (2024). Female sex bias in Iberian megalithic societies through bioarchaeology, aDNA and proteomics. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-72148-x