Ancient DNA reveals Upton Lovell Shaman was female, not male
8 reported1 unconfirmed
A new ancient DNA analysis has determined that the Upton Lovell Shaman, a Bronze Age individual long depicted in museum exhibits as a bearded male spiritual leader and metalworker, was actually female. The 4,000-year-old skeleton was discovered in 1801 in the village of Upton Lovell, about 10 miles west of Stonehenge, and is considered one of the most significant Bronze Age burials in Britain. The grave contained an extensive collection of stone axes, metalworking tools, and remains of an elaborate ceremonial cloak, dating to about 1,800BC. The analysis was performed by the ancient genomics laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, which also found the individual had Beaker ancestry typical for Britain at the time. The findings are unveiled in a new exhibition on ancient DNA opening at the Francis Crick Institute in London on 16 July.
What’s reported
The Upton Lovell Shaman was female, according to ancient DNA analysis.
The skeleton is about 4,000 years old and was discovered in 1801 in Upton Lovell, Wiltshire.
The grave contained stone axes, metalworking tools, and remains of a ceremonial cloak.
The artefacts date to about 1,800BC.
The analysis was performed by the ancient genomics laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute.
The individual had Beaker ancestry, typical in Britain at the time.
A secondary grave containing a skeleton in an upright seated position was previously assumed to be the shaman’s wife, but that skeleton has been lost.
The exhibition "We Go Way Back" opens at the Francis Crick Institute on 16 July.
Open questions
The full details of the ancestry analysis have not yet been released.
Key figures
David Dawson, director of the Wiltshire Museum
Pontus Skoglund, senior group leader of the ancient genomics laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute
Prof Mary Beard, classicist and broadcaster, member of the exhibition steering group
Sources: The Guardian
