Advertisement

Remains Found In Finland’s Middle Ages Burial Might Have Been Non-Binary

In 1968, an almost 1,000-year-old burial in Finland was revealed, believed to contained a female warrior, considering that there was jewelry and a pristine sword buried together with the skeleton. However, a recent examination has re-assessed the theory, indicating that the buried was possibly non-binary.
The research proposes that nonbinary identity, the case in which a person is recognized as neither male nor female, may have appeared in medieval Europe. The intricate manner of the grave indicates that nonbinary people may have played a key part in medieval society worthy of respect, according to the study authors.
"This burial has an unusual and strong mixture of feminine and masculine symbolism, and this might indicate that the individual was not strictly associated with either gender but instead something else," said lead author Ulla Moilanen.

Source: Veronika Paschenko

The first find wasn’t in accordance with what experts had known about medieval graves at the time: The body interred inside was sporting jewelry and feminine dress, common items for a female burial in that era; however, a sword was presented on top of their body. Scientists was baffled to believe that the grave might, at one point, have held two people, rather than a female warrior.
5 decades following the first discovery’s issuance, Finnish and German researchers have gained deeper insights into what was inside the burial, or what they could parse with the few materials that hadn’t disintegrated. They discovered that the burial held evidence of rabbit hair and bird feathers, indicating that the one interred was given an “elaborate burial”.
There were also brooches, objects commonly entombed with women back then, that initially made scientists believe that the buried person was a female. But the sword presented on top of the remains overturned the scientists’ thoughts, having no signs of battle wear and was missing a hilt, indicating that it had never been used.
That was quite strange for that era, as former research discovered that the site of the grave had been home to several battles. Researchers claimed that the state of the sword and its positioning in the grave depicts a “less violent and genderless” symbolism. Its positioning was a hint as well: "Swords placed directly on a body may be interpreted as strong symbols of identity and personhood," researchers wrote.
Proof of an XXY karyotype, congruous with what is currently identified as Klinefelter syndrome, was given by an examination of the only usable fragment of femur left in the burial. The syndrome is a genetic condition where a male child is given birth with an extra X chromosome, possibly leading to smaller testicles than usual, bigger breasts and little body or facial hair.

Source: Veronika Paschenko

Researchers couldn’t be sure whether the buried person was non-binary or not, as they were only able to inspect the prehistoric DNA and the items interred with them. Chris Babits, a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Utah State University, majoring in history of gender and sexuality, revealed that being non-binary isn’t based on biological gender but a person’s comprehension of their gender identity, and chromosomes alone can’t identify their gender identity.

Nonbinary people have existed for centuries

In fact, non-binary identity isn’t new or exclusive to Western culture. North American indigenous tribe residents long adopted social roles standing outside of the sex binary, living between male and female, according to Babits. He said that these First Nations and Native American people “were ascribed special gifts” based on their identity,” “all useful to the preservation and survival of their people.”
Furthermore, a 3rd sex in India, “hijra,” has been widely known since the 8th century BCE, proof by historians, said Babits. Modern Hijras are people who are possibly transgender, intersex or non-binary, but wear clothes and act in ways recognized as feminine. Despite encountering discrimination, hijras played vital parts in their communities, often in a creative or ceremonial capacity.
The Middle Ages also had some instances of people existing outside the gender binary, with Joan of Arc as one case, according to Jacob Doss, a PhD candidate in medieval European history at the University of Texas at Austin. The French martyr, despite being depicted as a woman in most documents about her life, dressed in traditionally male outfits, later contributing to her being burned at the stake.
"Understanding more about the history of trans and nonbinary people might disrupt the conservative worldview that there have only been two genders throughout all of human history," Babits said. "Historians know that not to be true."
Nonbinary and transgender people are often ostracized for seemingly rejecting the binary ideas of gender, Babits said. The discovery of a person who may have been nonbinary over 1,000 years ago and was likely highly respected by their community adds a new entry to the history of nonbinary people.
Share this article
Advertisement
 
Advertisement