A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

A Woman with a Sword? – Weapon Grave at Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, Finland




AuthorsMoilanen Ulla, Kirkinen Tuija, Saari Nelli-Johanna, Rohrlach Adam B., Krause Johannes, Onkamo Päivi, Salmela Elina

PublisherCambridge University Press

Publication year2022

JournalEuropean Journal of Archaeology

Volume25

Issue1

First page 42

Last page60

eISSN1741-2722

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1017/eaa.2021.30

Web address https://doi.org/10.1017/eaa.2021.30

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/62109063


Abstract

In 1968, a weapon grave with brooches was found at Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, Hattula, Finland. Since then, the grave has been interpreted as evidence of powerful women, even female warriors and leaders in early medieval Finland. Others have denied the possibility of a woman buried with a sword and tried to explain it as a double burial. We present the first modern analysis of the grave, including an examination of its context, a soil sample analysis for microremains, and an aDNA analysis. Based on these analyses, we suggest a new interpretation: the Suontaka grave possibly belonged to an individual with sex-chromosomal aneuploidy XXY. The overall context of the grave indicates that it was a respected person whose gender identity may well have been non-binary.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.





Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 11:43