1,000-year-old remains in Finland may be non-binary iron age leader

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Mysterious 1,000-year-old remains may be of a nonbinary person, researchers say

By Caroline Anders
Today at 6:30 a.m. EDT

In the grave lay a bronze-hilted sword, another long blade missing its hilt, a sheathed knife, three brooches, a sickle and pieces of a skeleton, nearly decomposed.

The collection of items lying with the bones seemed to evade traditional Western notions of gender. The swords suggested that the person they were buried alongside might be a man, but the jewelry indicated that the body belonged to a woman. This person, dated to 1050-1300 A.D., seemed important; they were buried wearing what may have been costly animal pelts and arranged on what once was bedding that contained feathers.

Much remains unknown about them. Researchers don’t know whether they were a leader or warrior, what their life looked like or how they would have identified.

But, according to a recent study from Finnish and German researchers, they were a male-bodied person of some wealth or importance buried in traditionally feminine dress. And that raises questions about the fluidity of gender in early medieval Finland. Researchers say it’s possible that this person was nonbinary — not strictly male or female.

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By Caroline Anders
Caroline Anders is a reporting intern on the General Assignment desk. Twitter https://twitter.com/caroIineanders