Bronze Age “Shaman” in England Was Actually a Woman

Scientists in London determined the remains found in a rich burial at Upton Lovell in southern England belonged to a high-status woman skilled in metallurgy and goldsmithing. The grave, discovered in the early 19th century, contained a unique array of grave goods, including gold-edged axes and gold necklaces, leading archaeologists to initially believe the individual was a powerful man.

However, a recent genomic sequencing project led by Tom Booth revealed the skeleton to be female. The initial misidentification stemmed from the woman’s height, approximately 170 centimeters, taller than the average woman of the time, and the fact that postmenopausal female bones can resemble male bones anthropologically.

This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that women in the Bronze Age were only buried with wealth as the wives or daughters of powerful men, suggesting women could hold power and status independently. Researchers now believe metalworking itself was considered a magical practice at the time, and this woman was a valued artisan central to trade networks across Europe.