A Bronze Age skeleton discovered in Wiltshire has been identified as female through ancient DNA analysis, contradicting decades of interpretation that portrayed the individual as a male spiritual leader and metalworker. The remains, found in 1801 in the village of Upton Lovell approximately 10 miles west of Stonehenge, date to approximately 1,800BC and represent one of Britain’s most significant Bronze Age burials.
The grave contained an extensive collection of artifacts associated with metalworking and ceremonial practices, including stone axes, metalworking tools, fossil sponges hollowed into cups, metalworking scribes, and a touchstone used to assess metal quality. The skeleton was accompanied by pierced animal bones arranged around the neck and legs, indicating an elaborate ceremonial cloak and possibly a bone necklace. Analysis of stone surfaces revealed traces of gold, suggesting the individual crafted ornaments such as clasps with cores of bone, wood, or copper covered in thin gold sheets. A greenstone battle axe from Cornwall was also recovered.
The DNA analysis was conducted by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute’s ancient genomics laboratory as part of broader research into ancestry and movement of ancient peoples. Testing of multiple bone samples, including a tooth and toe, produced consistent results with no evidence of multiple skeletons in the grave. Anthropological examination indicated the individual was tall for a Bronze Age woman at approximately 165 centimeters and robustly built, with arthritis in the right wrist consistent with repeated use of metalworking tools throughout life.
Museum officials and researchers noted the findings challenge long-held assumptions about gender roles in prehistoric societies. The discovery demonstrates that metalworking, which would have held significant social and possibly spiritual status during this period, was not exclusively a male domain. The analysis underscores how advances in ancient DNA techniques over recent decades enable archaeologists to correct previous interpretations based on outdated assumptions about sex and gender roles in the distant past.
The findings are being presented as part of a new exhibition on ancient DNA opening later this week at the Francis Crick Institute in London.
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