08/02/2021 2:39 PM
Clarín.com
Dresses
Updated 08/02/2021 2:39 PM
The mystery of
a Finnish warrior buried in women's clothing 1,000 years ago
may have been solved after DNA testing revealed that he could have been an intersex person with
an extra X chromosome.
The tomb of the Middle Ages was thought to be the final resting place of
a high-ranking woman
or a double burial of a man and a woman.
But scientists now believe it was just one person,
buried with weapons and jewelry
, who had an abnormal number of sex chromosomes.
Artistic reconstruction of the burial of a Finnish warrior dressed in women's clothing (Cambridge.org).
The warrior was buried in a soft feather blanket with valuable furs, trinkets and brooches, indicating high social status.
There were also two swords
in the tomb from the Middle Ages, including a hiltless sword on the skeleton's left hip.
They suspect that the second, which had a bronze handle, was hidden in the tomb at a later date.
This also emphasizes the importance of the person and their memory to their community.
The skeleton dating from the Middle Ages was discovered in 1968, in the town of Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, in the Hattula municipality, and has since puzzled experts.
The tomb dates back to between 1050 and 1300 AD.
An extra X chromosome
Researchers at the University of Turku confirmed that only one person had been buried and a DNA analysis revealed that the individual possibly suffered from a genetic condition known as
Klinefelter syndrome,
in which males are born with an extra X chromosome.
The location of the grave.
"It is likely that the individual found in Suontaka had the XXY chromosomes, although the DNA results are based on a very small set of data," said postdoctoral researcher Elina Salmela, referring to the fact that the genetic material was badly damaged.
While the symptoms of a person with XXY chromosomes can vary based on different factors, the syndrome often causes
enlarged breasts,
decreased muscle mass, reduced body hair, and even infertility, experts explain.
Some of the objects found in the tomb (Cambridge.org).
Today, the condition affects around
1 in 660 men.
He was highly respected and appreciated
On the other hand, the researchers believe that despite this particularity, the buried individual
was a highly respected member of his community
, challenging the traditional beliefs about gender roles of the time.
Various valuables were deposited in his grave, including a soft feather blanket with furs.
"The abundant collection of objects buried in the tomb is proof that the person was not only accepted but also valued and respected. However, biology does not directly dictate a person's identity," said researcher Ulla Moilanen.
One of the two swords found in the tomb (Cambridge.org).
The tomb at Suontaka Vesitorninmäki was discovered during an excavation project for
a water pipe.
The study has been published in the
European Journal of Archeology
.
GML