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Ancient DNA, kinship and relational identities in Bronze Age Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2021

Joanna Brück Open the ORCID record for Joanna Brück [Opens in a new window]
Joanna Brück*
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Ireland (✉ joanna.bruck@ucd.ie)
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Abstract

Recent critiques of ancient DNA (aDNA) studies in archaeology have called into question the problematic conflation of genetics with ethnic, cultural and racial identity. As yet, however, there has been little discussion of the increasing use of aDNA to reconstruct prehistoric kinship systems. This article draws on anthropological research to argue that kinship relations are not determined by biogenetic links, but are generated through social practice. A variety of archaeological evidence can be employed to explore how enduring affective relationships are created with both human and non-human others. These points require us to challenge androcentric and heteronormative interpretations of aDNA data in the Bronze Age and more widely.

Keywords

prehistoryancient DNAkinshipbiogenetic determinismrelationality
Type
Debate
Information
Antiquity , Volume 95 , Issue 379 , February 2021 , pp. 228 - 237
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd

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