Medieval Finnish grave that puzzled researchers for decades may have held 'high status' non-binary person: study

An artist's reconstruction of the burial, showing the position of the objects on the body. (European Association of Archaeologists 2021/European Journal of Archaeology)

toronto — Researchers in Finland have found new evidence from an ancient burial site that suggests medieval Finns may have challenged binary gender roles and that non-binary people may have been accepted in their community.

The Suontaka grave, discovered during pipeline works in southern Finland back in 1968, contained the remains of one person believed to have died in the late 11th or early 12th century, along with jewelry traditionally seen in the graves of females, and two swords, which are traditionally seen in the graves of males.

Overdecades, researchers have come up with several theories to explain the curious combination of items, including the presence of female warriors at the time and the possibility of two bodies -- a male and a female -- in the grave.

Now, research published last month in the European Journal of Archeology, suggests a new theory: that the person in the grave was non-binary.

Using ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis, albeit a small sample size, the researchers found with 99.75 per cent probability that there was just one person in the grave and that the person likely had Klinefelter syndrome.

Klinefelter syndrome is a condition where a male is born with XXY chromosomes, which can lead to lower production of testosterone, infertility and enlarged breast tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“To our knowledge, Suontaka would be the first case of chromosomal aneuploidy from a context which has been puzzling archaeologists as an atypical combination of mixed-gender attributes,” the researchers wrote in the study.

While Klinefelter syndrome does not define a person’s gender identity, the researchers note that in early modern Finland, the masculine roles depended on sexual ability and that a male with XXY chromosomes was likely infertile and thus “could have lost his manliness in the eyes of society.”

“Although chromosomes do not define gender identities, sex, gender, and sexuality are important aspects of how identity and personhood are constructed,” the researchers wrote in the report. “In a wider context, they are also vital in how the society perceives the individual. Gender roles are not necessarily personal choices but shaped by society.”

Given the burial items, the researchers believe the person was respected by their peers and that the community as a whole may have been accepting of non-binary people.

“In the Suontaka burial, the people who performed the burial ritual gave the dress, the jewellery, and the weapon prominence,” the researchers wrote.

“It is therefore possible that the Suontaka individual was not simply a cross-dressing shaman or a person who was forced into a female outfit, but an individual who was accepted and allowed to express their gender identity freely, and had or attained a relatively high status in their society.”

The researchers also concluded that the second sword was likely placed in the grave several years after the person’s burial, possibly indicating that their memory lasted generations.