In an amazing find, researchers in Finland have uncovered remains that could belong to a person who lived over 1000 years ago and was a community leader. There’s also a chance that this person identified as non-binary.
Throughout history, different societies have had specific ideas about gender roles. However, this examination of the grave might indicate that non-binary people were not just part of the community, but were also respected and honored.
In the DNA analysis of the remains, researchers found that the person might have been a high-status, non-binary individual. Archaeologists are still figuring out the details about the remains, but once the new DNA tests confirmed that there was only one body, it helped clarify things a bit.
The remains were first discovered during construction work in 1968. The grave had pieces of clothing, jewelry, and other items that indicated the person was dressed in what was considered a “typical feminine outfit” for that time.
Additionally, there was a sword without a hilt in the grave, and another sword was found above it. Swords like these are usually linked to masculinity.
Ulla Moilanen, the main author of the study, stated that “the buried individual appears to have been a highly respected member of their community.”
“They were laid in the grave on a soft feather blanket with valuable furs and objects.”
At first, people thought there were two bodies in the grave, a man and a woman. They believed this could show that women were leaders in medieval Finland.
However, after doing DNA tests, it turned out there was only one person in the grave, who had a condition called Klinefelter syndrome. This means that the person was born with an extra X chromosome, which is usually found in females.
About one in 660 men are believed to have this condition. Even though they have an extra X chromosome, they are still genetically male and often don’t realize it. This condition can lead to a smaller penis and testicles, lower sex drive, infertility, and sometimes larger breasts.
It’s not clear if the DNA results came from a tiny sample or if they had to use some kind of modeling to figure it out. Researchers think the person likely had XXY chromosomes, and since they were buried with many valuable items, they might have been seen as different from the usual gender roles.
Moilanen mentioned that this person “might not have been seen as strictly male or female in their community during the early Middle Ages. The large number of objects found in the grave shows that this person was not only accepted but also held in high regard.”