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Medieval warrior woman buried in Finland may be non-binary – study

August 12, 2021
Bharat Times English News

Tomb of an Iron Age Warrior in Medieval Finland What has puzzled archaeologists for more than half a century may actually be the final resting place of a respected warrior, a new study has found.

The nearly 1,000-year-old tomb was first found in 1968 at Suontaka Vesitorinmaki, and archaeologists noted the presence of pieces of jewelry and clothing.

This, the researchers said at the time, meant that the person in the tomb wore feminine clothes.

Although this corpse was accompanied by the presence of an unarmored sword inside the tomb, another sword, a famous bronze-edged sword, was buried above the tomb itself. These are more masculine symbols and raise questions about the nature of who is actually buried in the tomb.

This is notable because while Scandinavia has graves with women buried with swords, these tombs usually lack more “feminine” objects such as jewelry.

There is almost universal agreement that the grave belonged to someone very important and widely respected. However, over the years, experts have been skeptical about this cemetery, with some suggesting that it may have been the burial of both a man and a woman. However, it has also long been touted as evidence of a warrior woman, with the National Museums of Finland and Denmark both citing the tomb and bronze-chipped sword as evidence of a female warrior leader.

But as these researchers find out, the popular theories may be off the mark.

The DNA analysis was carried out by researchers from the University of Turku, the findings of which were published in the peer-reviewed academic journal. European Journal of Archeology, found that the one who was buried may have had XXY chromosomes, meaning a mixture of male and female chromosomes, which some may have called or identified non binary.

This condition is known as Klinefelter syndrome, a very rare condition where someone who is biologically a male is born with one or more extra X chromosomes. It is prevalent in one to two per 1,000 live male births and, while rare, is the most common chromosomal disorder.

There is no sign of suffering from this condition and as such, there is no form of prevention. People who have Klinefelter syndrome will still have male genitals, but they will be smaller and poorly functioning, and will also be infertile. according to UK National Health Service (NHS), Klinefelter syndrome can also cause other effects throughout life. They may learn to walk and talk later in life, become shy and have low self-confidence, low energy and problems with reading and writing, high height, weak muscles, breast enlargement, less body hair and low sex drive.

The condition usually doesn’t cause any harm to the body beyond infertility, although the NHS says it comes with a much lower risk of autoimmune disorders, hypothyroidism, anxiety and depression, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, blood clots and, more Cases, male breast cancer.

However, can someone with Klinefelter syndrome be a warrior? There is no such reason, per se. However, the researchers also noted some curious discoveries about the swords themselves. The famous bronze-tipped sword was buried at a later date and over a previous grave, some researchers note, may have been used for mystical purposes. However, the sword was purposefully buried in the grave itself. It generally refers to personal identity and personality. However, the sword shows no signs of damage or use, and the lack of hilt would have made it difficult to use unless the hilt was organic and thus degraded.

Considering the area at that time, other archaeological finds indicate that it may have been a violent and turbulent place, it is particularly strange that there is no sign of sword use. But a warrior with an unused sword is something unusual in itself.

So what role, exactly, would this person fit into society? Will they identify as a man or a woman? Will they conform to gender norms?

The answer is unclear, but as the researchers noted, the concept of gender norms may not be what is commonly understood today.

Early medieval Scandinavia was often viewed stereotypically as a hypermasculine environment, and the humiliation and shame of anyone playing a feminine role in society or in feminine clothing.

However, it is not at all clear. There is some evidence that cross-dressers may have had a social place for religious purposes, derived from the concept that in Norse mythology, Odin was associated with feminine magic.

And while Norse cultures in traditional Scandinavia may have considered it derogatory, the people of Finland were not Norse at all, but Finnic and Semitic. Perhaps, the researchers propose, cross-dressing shamans and wizards would have been respected more by the Finnic and Semitic peoples.

It is not without precedent either. A 12th-century tomb excavated in Vivlen, Sweden, and believed by some to be Semitic, was biologically formed and still buried with feminine dress and masculine objects. This may be evidence of gender-mixing or non-binary social roles and ideas.

But another possibility is that the person in the grave was never honored for their gender role or for being non-binary. Instead, there is another distinct possibility: the person in question already holds a prominent position by being part of a prominent family. It will explain jewelry, swords, elaborate furnishings and clothing. Being in such a dominant position allows this person to express their gender identity and life choices however they like.

Regardless, two things are certain: the person in the grave was certainly important, regardless of their gender or social role, and our understanding of societies in medieval Scandinavia is not yet fully understood.

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