Study Reveals Early European Farmers Lived in Egalitarian Societies

New genetic research shows no evidence of social stratification in Neolithic communities, with equality observed across gender and family lines.

Researchers from the University of Vienna and Harvard analyzed genetic data from over 250 individuals of the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK), dating back 8,000 years.
The study found no differences in burial practices, diet, or resource access based on sex or family lineage, indicating a lack of social hierarchy.
Women played active roles in farming and often traveled farther than men, suggesting dynamic and diverse community structures.
The LBK culture expanded rapidly across Central Europe but collapsed around 5000 BCE, with some evidence pointing to widespread violence, including the Massacre of Asparn-Schletz in Austria.
Genetic analysis of massacre victims revealed fewer than 10 were related, challenging theories that the violence targeted a single community.