NewsGeneticsIron Age Celtic womens social and political power just got a boostDNA clues hint men married into women-led communities Excavations of Iron Age skeletons such as this one from Celtic sites in southern England have produced genetic evidence reflecting social practices that enhanced womens power, researchers say. Bournemouth UniversityBy Bruce Bower2 hours agoCeltic womens social and political standing in Iron Age England has received a genetic lift.DNA clues indicate that around 2,000 years ago, married women in a Celtic society, known as Durotrigians, on the coast of south-central England stayed in their home communities while their partners came from outside the area, say paleogeneticist Lara Cassidy of Trinity College Dublin and colleagues.This female-centered marriage pattern, called matrilocality, in ancient and modern societies tends to accompany greater opportunities for women to wield household and community power.