Ancient DNA reveals a seven-generation lineage and the Zhao-Mu system in Ming-Qing China

As the foundation of ancient social organization, kinship shaped the layout of cemeteries and the conduct of funerary practices. The spatial arrangement of individuals reflects not only their biological relatedness but also their social roles and statuses. Reconstructing kinship among ancient individuals can thus provide essential insight into past societies. Here, we present an interdisciplinary study of the Lizui family cemetery, located on the Grand Canal in northern China and dating to the Ming-Qing period (14th-18th centuries CE). Paleogenomic data from 79 individuals reveal a seven-generation pedigree organized along patrilineal lines, representing the largest and most complete East Asian lineage reconstructed from ancient DNA. Ancient genomic and strontium isotope analyses reveal clear patterns consistent with patrilocal residence and female exogamy in the Lizui lineage. Integration of mortuary patterns with genomic evidence highlights axial layouts of burials, generational distinctions, and a hierarchical placement of male kin and female spouses, reflecting ritual norms and cultural values that reinforce lineage continuity, inheritance, and hierarchy. This reconstruction of a rural clan genealogy provides genetic evidence for the hierarchical structure of the clan (the Zhao-Mu system) as recorded in historical sources. It deepens our understanding of ancient Chinese society by tracing the far-reaching influence of the Zhao-Mu system on commoners. Our findings further demonstrate how clan and social cohesion was maintained through kinship, marriage, and ritual, offering new insights into the organization of rural society in ancient northern China.