中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所与陕西省考古研究院的研究团队通过对石峁城169具古人类遗骨进行大规模核DNA分析，揭示了这一东亚早期复杂社会的人口起源与社会结构[1]。该研究历时13年，涵盖144个无关个体的遗传信息，已于2025年发表在《自然》杂志第648卷第8094期[1]。
研究表明，距今约4200-3700年的石峁城（面积约4平方公里）的人口主要源自本地黄河农业社区，同时与南方和草原人群存在遗传联系，证明了史前广泛的区域接触[1]。本地人群的遗传连续性至少维持了1000年[1]。研究发现，石峁社会遵循父系继承制和父居制的组织方式[1]。
研究人员在石峁城东门发现的约80具人类头骨中，祭祀遗骨中约90%为男性，反映了这一古代社会独特的仪式实践[1]。
A comprehensive genetic analysis of 169 ancient human remains from Shimao, a prehistoric city in northern Shaanxi Province, has uncovered striking details about early complex societies in East Asia, according to research led by Professor Fu Qiaomei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Human Evolution [1]. The study, conducted over 13 years and published in Nature in 2025 (Volume 648, Issue 8094, page 659), examined 144 unrelated individuals from the site, which dates to approximately 4,200 to 3,700 years ago and spans roughly four square kilometers [1].
The genetic investigation reveals that Shimao's population was primarily descended from local Yellow River agricultural communities, while also maintaining genetic connections with populations from the south and the grasslands, demonstrating widespread regional contact during prehistory [1]. These ancestral ties with local groups show continuity spanning at least 1,000 years, indicating deep-rooted settlement patterns [1]. The research further illuminates the city's social organization, confirming that Shimao society operated under a patrilineal inheritance system and patrilocal residence pattern [1].
Most strikingly, analysis of approximately 80 human skulls discovered at the eastern gate—identified as ritual sacrifice remains—shows that roughly 90 percent were male [1]. This dramatic gender imbalance among the sacrificial victims offers a window into the ritualistic practices and social hierarchies of this ancient civilization.