An intriguing reinterpretation of an ancient grave

IN 1968 A GRAVE dating from about 1100 was uncovered near Hattula, in Finland. Little remained of the occupant’s skeleton, but the inhumation included two swords and a sheathed knife. Such grave goods would normally suggest said occupant was a man. The skeleton was, however, also adorned with brooches and woollen clothing of types more usually worn at the time by women. This led to speculation that the burial was actually of a powerful woman, possibly a local ruler in her own right rather than just the wife of a male monarch.This would be noteworthy enough. But a re-examination of the remains, just published in the by Ulla Moilanen of the University of Turku and Elina Salmela of the University of Helsinki, suggests the truth may be yet more intriguing. Ms Moilanen and Dr Salmela suspect that the individual in question may have had outward characteristics of both a man and a woman.