The Origins of Andalusian Muslim Matrilineal Systems

From ancient times, before the Roman invasion, many regions of the Iberian Peninsula had matrilinear and matrifocal structures. A combination of different matrilinear and matrifocal cultures coexisted in Spain and survived after the collapse of the Roman Empire of the West in 476 C.E. and the consolidation of Visigoth rule. The numerous contacts of Spain with North Africa and the Atlantic coast reveal high levels of genetic diversity and maternal heritage from Neolithic times, particularly through the Strait of Gibraltar. The influence of North African Berber tribes and groups played an important role before and after the Arab-Berber conquest of Spain in 711 C.E. in the dynamics of the complex social tissue of al-Andalus due to the interaction with existing matrilinear structures and traditions, particularly in the area of family law and marriage customs.