Revisiting Lineage: A Bioarchaeological Life Course Approach to Relatedness at the Late Shang Capital of Yinxu (ca. 1200-1050 BCE)

A groundbreaking bioarchaeological study of the Late Shang capital of Yinxu (ca. 1200–1050 BCE) challenges the long-held assumption that kinship in early Chinese society was rigidly patrilineal, instead revealing a dynamic system shaped by age and life stages. Analyzing 158 skeletal remains from Dasikong Cun—a non-elite neighborhood—alongside mortuary contexts, researchers found that burial practices evolved significantly over time, particularly among subadults, suggesting fluid forms of relatedness beyond formal lineage structures. The study applies life course theory for the first time at Yinxu, demonstrating how age-based seriations can track micro- and macro-scale changes in social organization. It proposes a new framework of 'yang' (care) and 'laiwang' (come-and-go) relatedness to characterize quotidian interactions, offering fresh insights into kinship theory, mortuary practices, and non-elite social dynamics during a pivotal period of Chinese civilization.

Ledin, L. M. (2025). Revisiting Lineage: A Bioarchaeological Life Course Approach to Relatedness at the Late Shang Capital of Yinxu (ca. 1200-1050 BCE) [University of Chicago]. https://doi.org/10.6082/S5DVJ-4A645