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Bronze Age Shaman Was Female, DNA Reveals
15 Jul
Summary
- Ancient DNA analysis confirmed the 4,000-year-old Upton Lovell Shaman was female.
- The individual was a skilled metalworker, challenging past gender assumptions.
- Significant artifacts found with the skeleton include tools and a ceremonial cloak.
An ancient DNA analysis has definitively identified the Upton Lovell Shaman, a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age individual, as female. This discovery fundamentally alters previous assumptions about the individual, who was historically depicted as a male spiritual leader and metalworker. The grave, unearthed in Upton Lovell, England, contained an almost complete skeleton accompanied by extensive artifacts dating to around 1800 BC.
These artifacts include an array of stone axes, metal working tools, and the remains of a ceremonial cloak. The presence of these items, particularly those associated with metalworking—a highly specialized craft in the Bronze Age—demonstrates the individual's significant societal position. Previous analyses had suggested the potential crafting of gold ornaments and the use of a distinctive greenstone battle axe.
The findings are part of a new exhibition at the Francis Crick Institute in London, exploring how ancient DNA techniques provide fresh insights into past lives. The analysis confirmed Beaker ancestry, typical for Britain at that time, but the individual's biological sex was a surprising revelation, highlighting the transformative power of ancient genomics in correcting historical assumptions about gender roles.
