Data from: Archaeogenomic evidence reveals prehistoric matrilineal dynasty

For societies with writing systems, hereditary leadership is documented as
one of the hallmarks of early political complexity and governance. In
contrast, it is unknown whether hereditary succession played a role in the
early formation of prehistoric complex societies that lacked writing. Here
we use an archaeogenomic approach to identify an elite matriline that
persisted between 800 and 1130 CE in Chaco Canyon, the centre of an
expansive prehistoric complex society in the Southwestern United States.
We show that nine individuals buried in an elite crypt at Pueblo Bonito,
the largest structure in the canyon, have identical mitochondrial genomes.
Analyses of nuclear genome data from six samples with the highest DNA
preservation demonstrate mother–daughter and grandmother–grandson
relationships, evidence for a multigenerational matrilineal descent group.
Together, these results demonstrate the persistence of an elite matriline
in Chaco for ∼330 years.