In 1968, when some pipeline workers were digging for a water pipe in Suontaka Vesitorninmäki in Hattula municipality in Finland, they found a bronze-hilted sword. This unusual find led to a full-fledged archaeological excavation of the site led by historian Oiva Keskitalo. What was found would lead to an archaeological breakthrough 50 years later. The excavation unearthed a 1000-year-old grave of a person. The objects in the grave were interesting and confusing for the archaeologists. The jewellery found in the grave indicated that the buried person was dressed in a manner considered feminine. However, the grave also contained two swords, a sign that indicates strong masculine roles. For decades, archaeologists were confused if the buried person was a man and a woman or if two people were buried. Now, a new study reveals that the person was likely a nonbinary.
After re-analysing the DNA of the person, which was badly damaged, researchers found that the buried person had the Klinefelter syndrome — a genetic condition in which a person is born with XXY chromosomes. A person with XXY chromosomes is anatomically male but also has an extra copy of X chromosomes that may result in poorly functioning testicles, breast growth and infertility.
However, “the abundant collection of objects buried in the grave is proof that the person was not only accepted but also valued and respected,” says Ulla Moilanen, one of the authors of the study, in a statement. Moilanen emphasises that one should not forget that “biology does not directly dictate a person’s self-identity.”
The study also revealed that of the two swords, the hiltless sword was probably buried with the person, the second sword with the bronze handle was likely hidden in the grave at some later point.
According to researchers, the new analysis challenges the orthodox beliefs about gender roles in early medieval communities and the iron age. The grave is also an example of how nonbinary people could have been respected and valued members of their communities, a feat even modern society is not very comfortable with. The study was published on July 15 in the European Journal of Archeology.
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