The Neolithic city of Shimao (c. 2300–1800 B.C.E.) shows evidence of sex-specific sacrificial practices: a skull pit near the East Gate contained roughly 80 heads that were predominantly male, while an elite cemetery held mainly female sacrificial burials. A 13-year genomic study of 144 samples found no ancestry differences between the groups, suggesting the distinctions reflect structured, gendered rituals rather than separate populations. The findings illuminate ritual complexity and early social stratification in an important ancient urban center.
DNA Study Reveals Sex-Specific Human Sacrifices at Ancient Shimao City
Archaeologists Found a Pit of Sacrificed Skullskool99 - Getty Images
Archaeologists and geneticists have uncovered compelling evidence that human sacrifice at the Neolithic city of Shimao in China followed distinct, sex-based patterns about 4,000 years ago. A new genomic study published in Nature analyzed ancient DNA from across the site and nearby communities, revealing that one ritual context contained mainly male victims while another held predominantly female sacrifices.
Two Distinct Ritual Contexts
Excavations inside the stone-walled settlement recovered a burial pit near the East Gate containing roughly 80 human skulls. Detailed DNA and osteological analyses indicate that nearly all individuals in this skull deposit were male. By contrast, a separate high-status cemetery associated with the same walled city produced sacrificial burials that were largely female and were interred alongside elite individuals.
Genomic Evidence and What It Shows
The international research team — led in part by Qiaomei Fu of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences — spent 13 years assembling and analyzing a large genomic data set. They produced high-resolution nuclear genomes from 144 ancient human samples dated between 2300 and 1800 B.C.E.. The genetic results show no significant ancestry difference between the male skull-pit victims and the female cemetery victims, indicating that these groups belonged to the same population rather than representing foreigners or a separate cultural group.
Interpreting the Rituals
Because the sexes appear in different ritual contexts and locations, the researchers conclude that sacrificial practices at Shimao were highly structured and gendered. The team suggests female sacrifices may have been intended as offerings to accompany or honor high-status individuals, while the male skull deposit may reflect a different civic or construction-related ritual connected to the city wall or East Gate.
"These findings reveal complex, gendered ceremonial practices and early social stratification in a major Neolithic urban center," the authors wrote.
Why Shimao Matters
Shimao is remarkable for its scaled architecture (including a pyramid-like structure), large stone walls, and zoned urban layout across roughly 1.5 square miles. The skull pit is considered the oldest known example of such a deposit in China and helps illuminate the ritual complexity and evolving social hierarchy of early urban societies in East Asia.
Note: The study is based on ancient human remains and genomic data; interpretations of ritual practice remain hypotheses grounded in archaeological context and scientific evidence.
