Genetic analysis of the remains, buried along with many military attributes, indicated a female warrior.
The burial of a warrior in the mid-10th century, numbered Bj 581, was first discovered in the late 1880s. The skeleton, found near the settlement of Birka in the territory of modern Sweden, is considered one of the richest sources of information about the weapons and life of the Viking Age. Researchers performed a genetic analysis of the remains and found that the bones belonged to a woman.
The items found in burial Bj 581 indicated the relatively high social status of the deceased. Together with the man were buried two horses - a stallion and a mare - as well as a large "collection" of weapons. A sword, an ax, a spear, several arrows, a combat knife and two shields were found in the pit. Also, next to the remains, a playing board with figures was found: on the basis of this find, archaeologists conclude that the person had knowledge of tactics and strategy. All these attributes indicate that the buried person could have occupied a relatively high military position.
Burial reconstruction, Evald Hansen
For more than a hundred years, the burial was considered masculine due to traditional beliefs. Despite this, several researchers have indicated that the morphological features of the skeleton are more similar to female features.
To establish the gender of the warrior, researchers conducted several studies of the remains. Analysis of DNA extracted from the tooth and humerus of the skeleton indicated the absence of the Y chromosome. According to the results of a study of mitochondrial DNA, the remains are genetically close to modern northern Europeans. Scientists also studied the content of strontium isotopes in the tooth enamel of a woman from burial Bj 581 and five other people buried near Birka. The analysis showed that in her youth, the woman moved regularly and may have led a wandering lifestyle.
No traces of serious injuries inflicted before her death were found on the woman's bones - most likely, other reasons led to her death. The absence of such injuries is characteristic of individual burials in this region. The remains of those who died from wounds are often found in mass graves.
The study is published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
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