New Forensic Technique Reveals 5,000-Year-Old Female Leader in Spain

A recently discovered well-preserved skeleton in an elaborate tomb in Spain was found through molecular analysis of tooth enamel to be female, not male as originally thought.
The woman, nicknamed the "Ivory Lady," held a position of political and religious leadership in her Copper Age society for generations.
Her tomb contained finely crafted artifacts indicating her high status, challenging the assumption that leadership roles were only held by men in antiquity.
The new method provides a more reliable way to determine sex and correct mistaken beliefs about gender roles in prehistoric societies when DNA is unavailable or poorly preserved.
Little is known about the mysterious society the Ivory Lady belonged to, but her lavish and well-preserved tomb provides rare insight into the lives of its elite women.