New discovery puts 'women at the centre of early Bronze Age society'

Key Points:

• DNA analysis of a 4,000-year-old skeleton found near Stonehenge has revealed that the individual, long thought to be a "stout man," was actually a woman, challenging previous assumptions about the burial site.
• Researchers believe the woman was a metalworker and shaman, indicating that women held significant roles in early Bronze Age society, including craftwork and spiritual leadership.
• The skeleton, originally discovered in 1803 and re-excavated in 2000, was confirmed female through DNA testing of the temporal bone, tooth, and toe bone, showing she was part of the Beaker culture known for metalworking.
• Objects buried with her, such as ochre bowls and a touchstone, support her metalworking role, and evidence of arthritis in her wrist aligns with this activity; decorative bone pieces suggest she was also a shaman.
• The Wiltshire Museum has updated the burial's description to reflect these findings, emphasizing the overturning of 200 years of assumptions and highlighting women's prominent roles in Bronze Age technology and society.