Thousand Year Old Remains in Finland may be non-binary leader

[Paolo]

1,000-year-old remains in Finland may be non-binary iron age leader | Archaeology | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... rchers-say)

DNA suggests body buried in feminine attire with swords had Klinefelter syndrome, researchers say

Modern analysis of a 1,000-year-old grave in Finland challenges long-held beliefs about gender roles in ancient societies, and may suggest non-binary people were not only accepted but respected members of their communities, researchers have said.

According to a peer-reviewed study in the European Journal of Archaeology, DNA analysis of remains in a late iron age grave at Suontaka Vesitorninmäki in Hattula, southern Finland, may have belonged to a high-status non-binary person.

First discovered in 1968 during building work, the grave contained jewelry in the form of oval brooches as well as fragments of woolen clothing suggesting the dead person was dressed in “a typical feminine costume of the era”, the researchers said.

But unusually, the grave also held a hiltless sword placed on the person’s left side, with another sword, probably deposited at a later date, buried above the original grave – accoutrements more often associated with masculinity.

For decades, the researchers said, archaeologists had assumed either that two bodies, a man and a woman, had been buried in the Suontaka grave, or that it was evidence strong female leaders, even woman warriors, existed in early medieval Finland.

“The buried individual seems to have been a highly respected member of their community,” said the study’s lead author, Ulla Moilanen, an archaeologist from the University of Turku. “They were laid in the grave on a soft feather blanket with valuable furs and objects.”

DNA analysis, however, showed the grave held the remains of only one person – and that they had Klinefelter syndrome. Usually, a female has two X chromosomes (XX) and a male has one X and one Y (XY). In Klinefelter syndrome, a male is born with an extra copy of the X chromosome (XXY).

Males with the syndrome, which affects about one in 660 men, are still genetically male and often do not realize they have the extra chromosome, but the condition can cause enlarged breasts, a small penis and testicles, a low sex drive and infertility.

The Finnish researchers warned that the DNA results were based on a small sample and only a relatively small number of genetic sequences could be read, meaning they had to rely to some extent on modelling.

But they said that based on their data, it was likely that the body in the Suontaka grave had the chromosomes XXY. The high-status burial led them to conclude the person may have identified as outside the traditional gender divisions.

“The overall context of the grave indicates that it was a respected person whose gender identity may well have been non-binary,” they wrote.

If the characteristics of Klinefelter syndrome were evident, Moilanen said, the person “might not have been considered strictly a female or a male in the early middle ages community. The abundant collection of objects buried in the grave is proof that the person was not only accepted, but also valued and respected.”

The finding challenges the idea that “in the ultramasculine environment of early medieval Scandinavia, men with feminine social roles and men dressing in feminine clothes were disrespected and considered shameful”, the researchers said.

The person may also have been accepted as a non-binary person “because they already had a distinctive or secured position in the community for other reasons”, the researchers said, such as coming from a wealthy or influential family or being a shaman.

Paleogeneticists and academics with expertise in ancient DNA analysis contacted by the Livescience website generally said the study was “convincing” in showing the person buried in Suontaka was likely to have been non-binary.

Archaeologists and historians also backed the findings, saying it was “exciting” to see new work engaging with questions of gender and identity. Leszek Gardeła of the National Museum of Denmark said the study showed early medieval societies “had very nuanced approaches to and understandings of gender identities”.

[Valery_V (imported)]

1000 year old remains in Finland may be non binary iron age leader

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TzeNJkcIh8

https://ovarit.com/o/GenderCritical/393 ... m-article-

1000-year-old-remains-in-finland-may-be-non-binary-

iron

Suontaka sword

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suontaka_sword

Anthropologists and archaeologists say trans rights

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula ... nt-page-1/

[seanthomas (imported)]

The article, as I read it, appears to indicate surprise that an ancient culture would accept or even embrace a non binary tribal member or leader. Intersexed individuals were well known in antiquity and their acceptance varied throughout time, societies and geographical locations. Homosexuality was also prevalent and societal acceptance varied just as it does today.

The Roman Emperor Nero married his male lover after having him castrated. The Emperor Elagabalus married five women, but preferred not only his male lover , but taking a submissive role in sex. He also often dressed as a woman and once begged his doctor to turn him into a woman.

So why the surprise that a nonbinary individual in Finland would be buried with reverence?

[Valery_V (imported)]

The Roman Emperor Nero married his male lover after having him castrated. The Emperor Elagabalus married five women, but preferred not only his male lover , but taking a submissive role in sex. He also often dressed as a woman and once begged his doctor to turn him into a woman.

Nero

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero

Sporus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporus

Elagabalus, officially known as Antoninus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elagabalus

Homosexuality in ancient Rome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexua ... _delicatus

[amorfius (imported)]

"

The finding challenges the idea that “in the ultramasculine environment of early medieval Scandinavia, men with feminine social roles and men dressing in feminine clothes were disrespected and considered shameful

”, the researchers said."

Short article forgets many details and it is a little populistic. Finland is not part of the Scandinavia especially concerning the Viking culture, but there has been many contacts between Finnish population and Vikings, since there is a narrow channel between Finnish archipelago and Swedish coast and it is easy to go over with a small boat. In the arhipelago it may have been Swedish speaking population but on the main land the population has been Finnish speaking. Finnish is not a language originated from European languages as swedish belongs in the language group of german, dutch and english. This may have caused problems to understand each other. There exist very little evidence, that Vikings have visited or attacked Finland, Viking boats have bypassed Finland on the route to Tallinn and the current Russian territory in the end of Finnish bay. Some part of Finnish population may have taken part in the Viking voyages. The females in Finnish culture thousend year ago have been respected as the archeological found from city of Eura shows. Sorry that this article in wikipedia is only in Finnish and Swedish, but there is a photo of "the dress of the lady from Eura": http://https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eu ... 3%A4n_puku

Dead link? - P

[Valery_V (imported)]

The females in Finnish culture thousend year ago have been respected as the archeological found from city of Eura shows. Sorry that this article in wikipedia is only in Finnish and Swedish, but there is a photo of "the dress of the lady from Eura": http://https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eu ... 3%A4n_puku

Dead link? - P

Euran emännän puku (Eura hostess costume)

https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euran_em% ... 3%A4n_puku

[Paolo]

Thank you, Valery.

[devi (imported)]

This thread has been enlightening. I have a lot of thoughts about this subject but I'll have share at a later time.

[Valery_V (imported)]

This thread has been enlightening. I have a lot of thoughts about this subject but I'll have share at a later time.

And for some reason I remembered a wonderful fairy tale

"The Snow Queen"

In Seven Stories by Hans Christian Andersen (1845)

http://hca.gilead.org.il/snow_que.html

[Stevenator (imported)]

While I tip-toe along the lines of banned subject matter on this forum, this article sweeping the internets reeks of agenda, to me. That being said, ANY article that’s based on heavily used phrases used within the article such as, MAY be indicative, COULD lead to, POSSIBLY points to, MIGHT be the reason, etc., basically means they’re just guessing, and the fact that the article is so heavily promoted, raises all kinds of red flags with me.

While I do know that stories like this are welcomed news for a great many of people, the fact they’re putting such current emphasis on a thousand year old event, leads me to believe their motives are more sinister than educational.

My ultimate point being is that it’s my interpretation that 99% of news they want you to believe is fluid and organic in nature, is in actuality forced and manufactured for other intended purposes. Basically, I’m HIGHLY skeptical of any corporate news that goes viral.

But, this is MY opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.