Archaeologists have presented new data on the life of the world's first farmers

Archaeologists have presented new data on the life of the world's first farmers by examining teeth found in ancient settlements in modern-day Syria. This was reported in the journal Science X.

The research team analyzed the isotopic composition of strontium and oxygen in the tooth enamel of 71 people who lived between 11,600 and 7,500 years ago — throughout the Neolithic Period. The data obtained made it possible to determine exactly where each of the people grew up: locally or in another region, which helped restore previously invisible migration links between early agricultural communities.

Archaeologists have recorded that most of the inhabitants stayed in one place, forming stable communities. This is confirmed not only by chemical analyses, but also by the nature of funeral rites — people were buried near their homes, and sometimes directly under the floor of houses.

However, by the end of the Neolithic period, researchers noticed a curious trend: women were more likely than men to leave their native settlements. Scientists attribute this to the spread of patrilocal traditions, when women moved to other villages to marry, while men remained in their homeland. According to archaeologists, such movements could serve a biological purpose — to prevent closely related relationships.

Interestingly, migrants — both women and men — received the same treatment in death as the locals. They were buried in the same positions and with the same rituals. Some burials united people from different places of origin, which indicates a high degree of social integration and openness of ancient communities.

The study shows that mobility did not mean isolation. On the contrary, Neolithic villages accepted new members, including them in community life on an equal basis. According to the authors of the article, these findings are changing our understanding of the formation of the first agricultural crops: already at the very beginning of human settlement, there were mechanisms of social flexibility, equality and inclusion.

The journal Science Daily reported that archaeologists from the University of Southampton have established that one of Egypt's greatest sanctuaries originated on an island surrounded by ancient Nile floods. The discovery sheds light on how the temple complex gradually turned into a religious center of ancient Egypt and may have been associated with the creation myth.

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