For over a decade, the lavish tomb of a copper-age noble within an archeological site known as Montelirio tholos in the city of Valencina, Spain, was thought to have been built for a man.
Archaeologists called the remains of the high-ranking individual discovered in 2008 the “Ivory Man” based on an examination of the poorly preserved pelvis bone dated around 5,000 years ago.
The nickname “ivory man” comes from luxury items discovered with the skeleton. These included the full ivory tusks of African elephants and a rock crystal blade.
However, the rich person was not a man but an “Ivory Lady,” a new study published Thursday in Scientific Reports found.
A group of researchers at the University of Seville developed a novel method to determine the gender of ancient remains. Rather than measuring the size of the bones, the scientists analyzed the tooth enamel to determine whether the skeletons contained AMELX genes found on the X chromosomes of humans. The scientists detected the gene after testing two teeth.
According to the study, the Ivory Lady probably enjoyed the position of the highest-ranking noble in her region — as evidenced by her large, solitary tomb and pricey gifts. The study states that this was “a period when no man attained even a distantly comparable social status”. In the paper, it is noted that during the Iberian Copper Age only women appeared to enjoy a similar high position.
“There were other cases in which graves of individuals have been classified as female or male based on assumptions that certain grave items are given to women and men,” Leonardo Garcia Sanjuan , one of study’s authors, told Live Science. “This is a poor scientific practice and a cautionary tale.”
The scientists hoped their discovery would encourage other researchers to reevaluate preconceived notions about women’s roles in ancient societies. Garcia Sanjuan told Live Science that during this period we began to see new leadership styles in Western European society. “She was a leader who existed before kings and queens, and her status wasn’t inherited, meaning that she was a leader based on her personal achievements, skills, and personality.”
The study’s authors did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
The post Scientists warn against the ‘poor scientific practices’ of assuming all ancient societies were male-led after an ‘ivory man’ is found to be an ‘ivory woman’ appeared first on Business Insider.
