Palaeogenomics data from 37 individuals dated between 3,600 and 2,800 BCE originated from South of France
In southern France, collective burial became widespread during the second half of the 4th millennium BCE. The social motivation underlying these practices remains largely discussed among scholars. Here, we combined evidence from archaeology, anthropology, Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates and genomic data from the Aven de la Boucle (Corconne, Gard, Southern France), a karst shaft that was used for collective burial between 3,600 and 2,800 BCE, to shed light on the genetic profiles, relationships and funerary practices of this community. The site contains the skeletal remains of approximately 75 individuals, represented by scattered and commingled remains with a large majority of adult individuals. Thus, this represents a unique opportunity to address the potential biological criteria underlying the selection of individuals deposited in late Neolithic collective burials. Among the 37 individuals analysed through the palaegenomic study, 76% were male, suggesting marked sex-biased selection. Additionally, available data stressed biological relatedness as well as the affiliation with specific male lineages as preponderant selection factors to be deposited in the collective burial of the Aven de la Boucle. Finally, we could argue in favour of “continuous” deposits between 3,600 and 2,800 BCE, carried out by the same community, despite cultural changes reflected by the material culture by combining Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates and genomic results