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NEW RESEARCH LED by UCD has “overturned” the centuries-old belief that the prehistoric Newgrange monument in Co Meath was a burial site for the elite class.
Writing in The Conversation, the report’s authors said that the new research reveals a “complex pattern of small, mobile groups who moved frequently with their animals and gathered seasonally”.
They say this “deconstructs the myth that only important individuals were socially active”.
Neil Carlin, an archaeology lecturer in UCD, and Jessica Smyth, Associate Professor in Archaeology at UCD, are among the report’s authors – the full report can be read here.
The report said the evidence does not “support the existence of hereditary power or A dynasty” and that any shared ancestry can be explained as “resulting from preferential choice of partners within a dispersed community”.
It added: “In constructing monuments collectively, people were also constructing kin relations.”
This “kin network” among these small and mobile groups – achieved through communal feasting, ceremonies, and work – extended over hundreds of kilometres and many generations and “transcended biological kin”.
It noted that any genetic clustering shown from passage tombs is “likely to have emerged from kin work, rather than a purely hereditary network”.
Most of the individuals genetically sequenced from these monuments were more closely biologically related to each other than to the wider Irish population at the time, thus forming a genetic cluster.
But genetic clustering from passage tombs is likely to have emerged from extended kin groups created and maintained through their communal acts.
“People may have preferentially chosen their reproductive partners from within this extended community of passage-tomb users, some of whom were genetically distantly related,” stated the report.
Only a few examples of close family links occur in smaller and earlier tombs.
But within passage tombs like Newgrange, most biological relationships tend to have been distant, such as second cousins or a great-great-great grandparent.
The report’s authors said this “tells us that burial was not strongly determined by biological relatedness”.
It concluded that the selection of bones for deposition within passage tombs in Neolithic Ireland “does not seem strongly influenced by biological relatedness”
Rather, other “facets of identity, kinship, ability, role, cosmology and value influence these decisions”.
“The mapping of distantly related individuals interred within passage tombs far apart in time and place shows the shift towards more closely connected cultural and religious networks,” said the report.
“These likely comprised dispersed groups who were increasingly mobile across a wide swathe of Ireland in the later half of the Neolithic.
“The evidence certainly does not support the existence of hereditary power (a ‘dynasty’) in these populations.”
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One of the greatest heads of state ..
You served your country well
RIP Queen Elizabeth
@Míchael Búrké: Probably more than you will ever achieve in your lifetime. And mine.
@Míchael Búrké: take a hike please
@Fi Wyse: Not an actual answer to the question there.
@François Pignon: a relatively endearing monarch, stayed away from controversy. Could she have acted more during the troubles as head of the army, probably not. A ceremonial position, but her death does feel to represent a change in time. Like today’s culture, the next monarchs will be social media kings and queens.
@Lad: kept her son andy out of harms way. Great mother.
@Míchael Búrké: held down the same job for 70 years..
@François Pignon: your avatar suits you well, a sad little clown
@Míchael Búrké: Not much. Got born to a particular set of parents at a particular time in a total genetic lottery.
Other than that, bugger all really but for some reason, people here will still make out that she was some kind of amazing person…
@ForrestG45:
@Fi Wyse: brilliant
@Liam Clyne:Good riddance
@François Pignon: You don’t need to write period after the period.
@Wiill S Rimer: used it for impact, “poetic licence” its called
@Lee King Buckett: Weren’t we all born to a particular set of parents in some sort of a genetic lottery? She took her role seriously and never deviated in her long life. If the British people want to have a royal family and pay for their upkeep, that is a matter for the British people. A bit like us having a kind of monarch up in The Park. You’re entitled to assess her worth as you see fit, as am I. But without going too far down that particular road, all I would say at this point in time is that I am deeply saddened by her passing.
@Pat Kelly: Indeed we were, so if that is being held out as her greatest achievement, she is no different, better or worse than the rest of us.
I’m not deeply saddened by her passing as I never knew her or any of her friends or family and she had no impact on my life. I wish her no ill for the same reasons and I’m sure she was a perfectly fine person to those who knew her.
I do wonder though, about commenters here who, despite the above, gush platitudes about her strength, achievements, etc etc when, as discussed, there were none other than that which befalls us all.
It smacks of insincerity to me.
@Rotts: take a hike you very small peson..
@Lee King Buckett: Lee, I’m not sure who held out the circumstances of her birth as her greatest platitude. Certainly not me. But you knew her, just as I did, by virtue of her public persona. And in the same way that we knew John Lennon, Sam Beckett, Sean Connery and, well, the list goes on. If you are not moved by the passing of a significant person because you didn’t know that person personally, or any of her family or friends, then that is a matter for you entirely. I, personally, am deeply saddened by her passing.
@Liam Clyne: did a lot of favors to mankind by decreasing the size of her bloody empire
@wormtubes: should have held her sons down
@Lad: She did not have a ceremonial position as you claim. She and she alone appointed people to the unelected House of Lords, the majority of British Parliament, amongst her many other political powers. Unelected and unaccountable, an inconvenient fact for you, which amongst many of her medieval privileges enabled her to write a cheque for £12,000,000 of British taxpayers money for Randy Andy (to donate to someone he claims he never met) safe in the knowledge that she could never be voted out of office and knowing that she would never have to account for it or explain her actions to anyone, least of all the taxpayers who funded her and her extended family.
@Pat Kelly: John Lennon – left us some of the greatest songs in history which continue to give joy long after his passing.
Samuel Beckett – did the same in a literary context.
Sean Connery – not in the same league but a talented actor nonetheless who entertained millions.
The Queen…. Nope…. Hmmm….
That’s my point.
@Lee King Buckett: No, that wasn’t your point, which was that her death didn’t sadden you because you didn’t know her or any of her family or friends. Yet you attribute worth to other people mentioned even though you didn’t know them personally either. It’s different stokes for different folks, Lee, and you can do better than that.
I didn’t actually think i would fell anything when the queen passed but im actually sad i don’t think we will ever see anyone of her strength again its really is the end of a generation…RIP
@Dave Omihuly: You must have lived a very sheltered life if you can think of nobody of her strength. Read some history and you may be shocked and to think we will never see again is very shortsighted.
@Dave Omihuly: What strength exactly? Have you any actual examples of said ‘strength’??
@Rory Jennequin: Name one, in living memory.
@Rory Jennequin: well ya see rory im just an ordinary Irish man with normal respect when someone dies.as for history unlike you i actually put on a uniform of the Irish state and served it for 33 years to be part of history instead of reading about on the sideline like yourself…and safe to say at my age i will probably not see someone of her strength again to serve as head of state for 70 years….but you have a lovely evening on the cheep seats of sideline history
@Rory Jennequin: as a point of history tho i was serving my country over seas in 1992 when you started school in blancherdstown …as i said be part of history not just reading about it in your lab in Pfizer
@The Divils Avocado: Nelson Mandela
@Dave Omihuly: good man.. well said, majority of these keyboard warriors are sitting at home all day in their pyjama’s, Googling, I honestly get a good laugh out of them, easily risen and would swallow a roll of bull wire!!
@Kevin Farrell: Fine! Name two..
@Big bad bull: totally agree with you…. telephone tough guys …in thir paw patrol pjs and and their frozen duvet cover… playing with his Nintendo
@Rory Jennequin: presumably you have little to do in your life but begrudge, begrudge, etc.
@Dave Omihuly: Just because you done a few peace keeping missions and played cowboys & Indians for 33 years in random fields around Ireland doesn’t make you some sort of war hero who can speak down to others like you are Rambo! LoL!! Your part of no history, I’ve never heard you. The Queen had ZERO strength as she was wined and dined and pampered all her life!
@The Divils Avocado: John Paul 2nd
@Dave Omihuly: ever hear of Dalai Lama or is he beyond your intellect ?
@Craig Thompson: 0⁰⁰pp⁹
@Craig Thompson: don’t ever speak ill of john Rambo he was accused in the wrong and they drew first blood ….now back in your box gimp and we will take you out when we need a laugh
@Dave Omihuly: Is that the best you can come back with? LOL! I clearly hit a nerve. Maybe you should have joined a real army like the Americans where they actually fight in real wars. Or you could have joined your beloved late Queen’s British army. Instead you joined a glamorized version of the FCA!
RIP
Möge sie in Frieden ruhen
@Jack Crummey: The Journal’s RIP brigade out in full force tonight…. Thoughts and prayers and doffing their caps like good little subjects… The french had the right idea.
@easilyfrustrateddad: when your time comes I hope someone will at least think rip
@John Smith: I suspect they will be saying “who???? Nope sorry don’t know they guy?, just leave him in the bin”
@easilyfrustrateddad: aw, you felt the need to write that.. good little “rebel” you are
@Jack Crummey: ah! don’t be so grumpy crummy Crummey!!! see what I did there with your name? Let us not forget what we did to her utterly incompetent deviant cousin also… terrible stuff really.. jolly rotten…
She didn’t ask for the job. She did the job. She did it better than anyone ever could and most importantly she keot her dignity and grace while everyone else lost theirs, through it all. For 75 years. I’m not a fan of the monarchy but a huge fan of the Queen. She deserves her rest. Rest In Peace sweet lady.
@Patrick McConville: she could have abdicated but chose to do it..not a hero for that or being the head of the British armed forces.
@Eoghan Augusta: take a hike a d by the way she was never head of the forces..the PM is
@Andrew Barber: is commander in chief not the head? Because she was in fact the commander in chief.
@Andrew Barber: Think you would want to check your facts.
This is very sad! God rest her soul. She did very well as a monarch. I will always remember when she wore shamrock embroidered white dress when she visited Ireland.
@Claire King: she did do a great job protecting her sex offender son didn’t she
@Seán Ó Maoláin: There’s always one, cop on.
@Seán Ó Maoláin: didn’t she/the royal family distance themselves from Andrew?
@Claire King: she awarded medals to the British military present on blo ody sundy, what a gal true humanitarian.
@Sean Walsh: take a hike please
@Greedylocks: you also can take a hike
@Seán Ó Maoláin: what precisely did she do to protect him?
@Seán Ó Maoláin: He did nothing illegal. Immoral maybe, but “sex offender”? No.
@Greedylocks: And the IRA blew up her cousin Louis Mountbatten, a 15 year old deckhand and his teenage grandson, so are we quits ?
@Sean Walsh: the IRA are a terrorist organization and don’t represent the people of Ireland.
@Seán Ó Maoláin: As any mother would do.
@Andrew Barber: why don’t you both take a hike together?
@Seán Ó Maoláin: innocent until proven guilty?
@O Swetenham: so are the British army why were they in Ireland, there probably would be no IRA if the Brits kept their greedy paws off our country, like the shite they cause in every country they tried or did colonise
@Daire Hanrahan: my point was that the British Army were representatives of their state. The IRA were not.
@Claire King: I really hope the shamrock makes a full recovery
@Sean Walsh: cop on or condom on
May she rest in peace
May The Queen rest in peace. She was a very dedicated, steady head of state, an example to anyone who takes on a position of influence and rule in a country or government. Seemed to be a bit of a character too. Sad news but a great age to see.
What ever your thoughts about the monarchy she was an incredible lady. I can’t imagine the pressure to take on that role at her young age and do such a good job. Rest In Peace Lilibeth
@Jen Gordon: Her name was Elizabeth, not what an American wannabe/didntwannabe called her child
@Tom Mc Bride: that was her pet name as a child
RIP
RIP. The media coverage over the next few days will be unbearable.
@O Swetenham: Like winning the world cup. It will never be over.
@O Swetenham: Switch off the tv then
@O Swetenham: Your comment is already unbearable and it only took you seconds. Well done you.
@Mustafa Leek: don’t watch tv. All news sites will be consumed with this at the expense of other more important news.
@lelookcoco: stay classy……….
@lelookcoco: take a hike, you are and never were funny
@O Swetenham: disengage…
What an amazing lady she was, a true stalwart, I don’t doubt for one minute that her life was an easy one, I genuinely feel quite sad reading this news, RIP
@Julie: she hardly lived a difficult life ffs
@G man: A much harder life than any of us. She had no freedom. She was the face of the UK.
Rest in peace Ma’am
Ah bless her rip
The world will see the Irish response to this as their closest neighbour. This should underscore our responsibility to be sympathetic and respectful for their loss and not let the history between us rear its head at this time.
RIP Queen Elizabeth II
@HarveyLemonade: well said. Thank you
@HarveyLemonade: this is our golden opportunity to let the world know what the British really are remember Thatcher
@Tony Doyle: how do you fit so much bitterness instead you for such a small Man..if you call child line they might be able to put you in contact with someone that can help you..if not i here the wax museum are looking for a hobbit lookalike
Rip lady
She was a graceful, gracious woman. RIP.
RIP. You’ve certainly earned your rest.
RIP – Hope to see Ireland honour her memory and join the commonwealth now. It is for the best
@Sam Murray: get a grip!
@Sam Murray: calm down there now!
@Sam Murray: says who
@Sam Murray: troll
@Sam Murray: Join the Commonwealth – put the crack pipe down
@Sam Murray: Why spoil a non-political moment with tripe
@Sam Murray: I sincerely hope you’re taking the p1ss
@Sam Murray: Whist!!!!
@Sam Murray: yea and than we ask for Andrew to be king.
@Sam Murray: Herself & her family line never showed us (or any of the Commonwealth nations) any when they murdered & pillaged every country they took over!
@Sam Murray: Good on Sam, I’m sure people could use a laugh right now.
@Sam Murray: King of trolls
@Sam Murray: Sam please keep taking the pills.
@Sam Murray: trolls gonna troll
@Sam Murray: agree
@Sam Murray: Gas man sam, you have em all up in arms now. Many will be unable to sleep tonight due to such incendiary comment. Lol!
@Alison Maguire: what a load of boll..ks
@Sam Murray: Careful Now
@Sam Murray: all for paying respects and all but joining the commonwealth?? NEVER.
@Charles McCarthy: haha thank you thank you, all in a days work
@Alison Maguire: they all seemed to get on brilliantly at the Commonwealth games in August…was such a shame we had no part
A truly great lady despite numerous family setbacks R.i.P
RIP
She didn’t ask for the job. She did the job. She did it better than anyone ever could and most importantly she kept her dignity and grace while everyone else lost theirs, through it all. For 75 years. I’m not a fan of the monarchy but a huge fan of the Queen. She deserves her rest. Rest In Peace sweet lady.
Like her or hate her she was a strong woman given a tough role in life at the age of 21 and she never faltered. RIP Lillibeth.
@Margaret Mcgarry: 21? She became queen at 25 !
RIP. End of an era.
Táim chroí bhríste anseo, na deoraí ag rith síos mo aghaidh, ni’ fhéidir liom fanacht san saol seo gan an bhean seo, mo mháistir, is muid do sclábhaí go deo, bhí tusa is’ do chlann chomh maith dúinn, go háirithe san Gorta mór, beidh na mílte Éireannaigh a dhéanamh hari-kari anocht. Nílim a magadh….
@An t-Iascaire Gaelach: I’m sensing sarcasm!
@An t-Iascaire Gaelach: whatever
@Nicola M: I’m sensing nothing, I don’t speak Klingon.
@lelookcoco: it’s the mother tongue of this country. If you don’t understand it, then it is you.
@lelookcoco: I take it your not Irish not knowing the language
@Ron: doesn’t mean he isn’t Irish, he’s just being ignorant.
RIP Elizabeth. As monarchs go we are unlikely to see the likes of you again. I extend my prayers to you and to your family
Great to see such respectful comments here and rightly so. Sad news. RIP.
The lady had been a quiet and pleasant backdrop throughout all of my life. Kind blessings being sent her way. Thank you Madame for the, mostly, nice times. Richard
Very sad, She was a lovely lady…..
The biggest piece of news of my lifetime, a momentous day in history. RIP
@Liam: You must not lead a very fulfilled life. A notable occasion I accept but queens come and go.
@lelookcoco: have you been alive for another British queen? :)
@Liam: happy 1st birthday!
@Jen Mc: Happy hitting puberty! Maturity will come soon my friend
@Alison Maguire: Open your vision a little wider Alison. Many other countries have queens. QE II just one of many.
Ar dheis Dé ar a h-anam dilis
Rip
RIP
I feel sorry for her that her last official duty had to be endorsing LizTruss to Downing St
@Sean Treacy: that’s what I’m thinking, she saw that and just gave up by the looks of it.
RIP
RIP
RIP
So sad RIP
End of an era. RIP.
RIP The end of an era
@Damian Anslik: thank God Look what she left the Brit’s with multiple pedophiles
What a survivor she was. Rest in peace.
I can’t say I’m a fan of the monarchy but she was some woman for one woman!
RIP
RIP
God rest her soul
May she rest in eternal.peace
What a wonderful lady. RIP
Lucky break for Truss, this will keep everyone from focusing on the difficult issues.
Rip Queen Elizabeth.
The Smiths will be No 1 next week.
The end of an era in the UK, Queen Elizabeth, a queen for more than 50 years.She’s irreplaceable, she had a great work ethic and worked all her life.
@Caroline Moran: she has already been replaced
@Caroline Moran: more than 70 even.
RIP.
“A huge shock to the nation and the world”?!
A 96 year old woman dying is hardly a shock!!
RIP.
RIP. Her death may be marking the end of the United Kingdom as we’ve known it. Scotland is likely to go their own way, followed by Northern Ireland.
@Sebastian Manka: Northern Ireland to go it’s own way?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: yes, away from UK, just a matter of time and demographics.
@Sebastian Manka: An independent N. I. would be interesting.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Wouldn’t cope financially on its own, I’m afraid.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: independent NI sponsored by the World Bank.
The queen is dead?
Just checked
Elton John is fine
Must be from meeting Liz Truss
@Martin Sinnott: can’t bode well for Truss! Her first official duty ends in the passing of the Queen!
Apperently she was improving until she got the gas bill this morning.
That’s sad. RIP
May she rest in peace
Will be interesting to see what lengths Markle will go to in order to make this about her
@The Mrs O’B: will be interesting to see how many use it as a reason to critize and get a dig in at MM for attending a funeral. People are obsessed with her.
@Rmaybe: Well Martin would go to the opening of a brown envelope.
Can the journal please impose a ban on any person who is disrespectful to HRH. As it comes from pure hatred.
@Scott Coulter: people bear grudges and have long memories. It’s what the monarchy stands for that’s the problem, not the lady herself
@Scott Coulter: and who is HRH
@Scott Coulter: what does HRH stand for?
@Ron: his or her royal highness so Charlie is king, camilla is queen Consort so which one are you referring to. Queen was her majesty
RIP
The Queen is Dead
One of the best albums of all time
Johnny Marr and Morrissey
The best of the best
Yippee! The comments are open!
Condolences to the British people who have borne so much loss.
RIP Lizzy, it’s a shame you didn’t live to see the collapse of “Great Britain”, but, hey ho! You can’t have everything!
We should have a national day of mourning.
@Stanley Darsh: I presume that’s sarcasm
Prince William for king. What’s needed is someone young.
@Dave Barrett: bout 15 years to go.
My memory is gone to hell.
I can’t remember where I was when the Queen died this afternoon.
Why is the irish flag at half mast?
@mark o donovan: Courtesy to a European country whose Head of State has died.
@mark o donovan: perhaps because the Queen, our nearest neighbour, has died?
Random 96 yo dies, hardly a tragedy. The power of the cult is being displayed here. I hope enough of us make it through this BS.
@A Well Known Comical Stereotype AKA PRGuy: But she wasn’t just a random 96 yo.
@A Well Known Comical Stereotype AKA PRGuy: random person makes useless statement about a Lady that died. Show some respect manchild
May she rest in peace
One last kick in the teeth, all sport cancelled this weekend. Cheers.
@ChadChaderson: Let’s hope people would be a bit more sympathetic if you suffered a bereavement.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: I don’t expect the world to stop when someone in my family dies. It is North Korean level forced mourning.
Good riddance
@Rotts: can’t believe people have forgotten what her country has done to ours in the name of loyalty to the crown.
At least she got to visit the Guinness hop store
Worth keeping Liz Truss at arms length for now.
JFK assassination, 9/11, and now this. RIP Queen Elizabeth.
@Frank Naughton: The first moon landing was a much more significant development in the history of the human race than all of them.
Is it serious?
Good hopefully this will be the death rattle of the royals and don’t @ me ya shower of soup takers
@Derek Corcoran: Why does the Head of State of another country bother you so much?
@Derek Corcoran: and unless you are British, what it is to do with you?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: History you should try read up on it sometime
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dilís.
Good Luck and Long Life to King Charles III.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Lizzie in a box in a box Lizzie in a box nahhhhhh Lizzie in a box
Who?
I’m sorry she’s dead. I am. But now UK have a spoiled man-child and his loose moralled woman at the helm.
@Anna Carr: Loose morals? My god, what century are you living in?
@Darren: lol. Sorry but I always blamed those 2 for Diana’s death and it was the only way I could phrase it without it being disallowed. Haha, it does sound pretty Dickensian lol
@Anna Carr: Diana got in a car with a drunk driver and wasnt wearing a seat belt. Thats how she died. Camilla and Charles were in love before he even met Diana, if anything, it was Diana who got in the way. But protocol or duty or whatever made it be so that he had to marry someone young and more suitable than Camilla, even though they were virtually soul mates even then. It might be sacrilege to say this, but i never liked Diana. I always thought there was something a bit ‘off’ or odd about her. Her big, bambi eyes always flitting at the cameras. I do think she was a desperate attention seeker who was always searching for the camera pointed at her.
She was a head of state, a monarch, a mother of pedophiles, and most importantly a devoted cousin to her husband
RIP
Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth,no doubt the tragic death of Lady Diana might Haunt King Charles and Camilla’s roll .The start of the end of the Royal Monarch in the UK .A leopard never changes his spots
Well done Boris, last act as PM, sapping the strength your nation’s beloved monarch.
Agh RIP
Yebsuebeuebdieb jjik jj
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