Lineage and Descent

A unilineal group of kin who trace their descent from a known

common ancestor is a lineage. A lineage is a unilineal descent
group and is a consanguineal group. The members of a lineage
claim their descent from a common known ancestor and at the
same time they can actually demonstrate the links between
themselves and their known ancestor. This shows that lineage is
based on Demonstrated Descent. Depending upon the types of
rules of descent on which the lineages are based, they can be
classified into patrilineages, matrilineages and ambilineages. A
unilineal group of kin who trace their descent from a known
common male ancestor is a patrilineage. It is based on
demonstrated patrilineal descent. Patrilineages are found among
the Witoto Red Indians of Amazonia, Yanomamo Red Indians of
Southern Venezuela and Miwok Red Indians of California. They are
also found among the Nuer of Africa and also among the
agricultural societies of Indiaand China. A unilineal group of kin
who trace their descent from a known common female ancestor is
a matrilineage. It is based on demonstrated matrilineal descent.
Matrilineages occur among the Veddas of Ceylone, Kurtchin of
Northern Canada, Tikopia of South Pacific and in India, among
Khasi and Garo of Meghalaya. A consanguineal kin group each of
whose members can trace their descent from a known common
ancestor, either a male or female, constitutes an ambilineage. It
is also called a ramage or a sept. Ambilineages occur among
Nukuros of Micronesia, Samoans of Polynesia and Iban of Sarawak
and also among the pastoralist societies of Tibet. Ambilineages
are also reported from the agricultural societies of Japan.
Characteristics of Lineages
Lineages are named: They can also have labels, symbols or
even designations. In a very few societies, lineages are not
named.
Lineages are exogamotis: Since the members of a lineage are
consanguine, i.e., related by blood, they have to choose their
spouses from other lineages. Thus lineages in every society
regulate marriages through exogamy.

Lineages have common religious obligations: The lineages

may have their own deities, priests and peculiar rituals for dealing
with the supernatural. Lineages involve in the veneration of their
respective ancestors. In fact ancestor worship is one of the most
important mechanisms through which lineages organize their
living members.
Lineages are characterized by corporate property
ownership: In a majority of the societies, lineages act as a
corporation because it owns property and controls the use and
inheritance of this property. In this sense each lineage functions
as a corporation in many societies. However in some societies the
individual families within a lineage own property. In few societies
lineages do not own property.
Every lineage is a corporate enterprise: Its members may cooperate for economic purpose such as hunting, fishing, and, or
even ceremonial purposes. In some societies, other types of
kinship groups may act as corporate enterprise.
Lineages are units of social control: It regulates the behavior
of its members. Every lineage may have its own laws to regulate
and punish the
members of its group. Thus a lineage is playing a deliberate role
in enforcing the laws of the society among the members of its
group.
Lineages are characterized by mutual aid: A lineage
supports its members on important occasions in the life cycle.
Lineages come to the rescue of its members in the time of need.
Lineages also constitute feuding groups: Lineages within a
single clan feud with each other and then at times unite to fight
the members of other clans. The Nuer of Sudan and Tiv of Central
Nigeria are the examples of the societies where the lineages are
feuding groups.