Archaeologists in Spain have discovered that a luxurious tomb dating back 5,000 years that was once thought to belong to a male contained the bones of a powerful woman.
Researchers were able to determine the gender of the remains using a novel method that examines dental enamel, upending earlier beliefs, according to a report from The Seattle Times. The social dynamics and gender roles in ancient Iberian civilization are now better-understood thanks to this ground-breaking discovery.
The tomb was unearthed in 2008, close to Seville on Spain's southern coast. Archaeologists then assumed the tomb belonged to a young man of high social position based on poorly preserved bones and priceless objects, including a rock crystal knife, ostrich eggshells, amber, and ivory tusks. The 'Ivory Lady' has been dubbed by academics after a recent study published in Scientific Reports showed that the bones belonged to a woman.
A New Technique Employed
The University of Seville's Marta Cintas-Pea and her team developed a novel technique to identify a person's sex by examining the chromosomal information contained in tooth enamel. The roughly five-year-old method has shown to be very reliable, even with poorly preserved human bones. In addition, this approach is less expensive than conventional DNA testing, according to CNN.
The method of examining tooth enamel to establish the sex of ancient remains has changed the game. Due to brittleness and deterioration over time, traditional procedures based on pelvic bone examination often have limits.
Analysis of ancient DNA is expensive, susceptible to contamination, and only sometimes practical in warm areas. On the other hand, studying the protein amelogenin found in tooth enamel offers a dependable and broadly applicable answer.
The "Ivory Lady" was not simply a notable person of her day and a lady of great social status. Professor of prehistory at the University of Seville, Leonardo Garcia Sanjuán, noted that her cemetery was the most lavish in the area.
🔴 ¡Increíble hallazgo! Una investigación US revela la existencia de mujeres líderes en la Edad del Cobre
— Universidad de Sevilla (@unisevilla) July 6, 2023
⛏️ El trabajo muestra que el sujeto más destacado de este periodo en la península ibérica fue una mujer, que ha sido bautizada como 'La Señora del Marfil' pic.twitter.com/zALOIGzvSh
Rewriting History
The ancient tomb, an uncommon instance of a single occupancy burial, was filled with many treasured items. Archaeologists assume she had a leadership role because she was revered for at least eight generations after her death, the BBC reported.
The finding casts doubt on earlier theories on gender roles in Iberian Copper Age culture. Researchers discovered evidence of another sumptuous tomb close by that is thought to have been constructed by people claiming to be descended from the 'Ivory Lady.' The discovery shows that women had significant leadership positions throughout the emergence of hierarchical civilizations in Europe.
The 'Ivory Lady' finding disproves commonly held beliefs about the power dynamics and gender roles in ancient cultures. It emphasizes the value of questioning historical presumptions and provides new information on the social structure of early civilizations.
Garcia Sanjuán said the 'Ivory Lady' had a charming personality and probably knew people from other countries. The high mercury concentrations discovered in her bones point to paranormal or magical activities as another potential cause of her influence.
According to legend, Cinnabar, a material renowned for its intoxicating qualities, might have been used or burned.
