The recently developed method of sex determination via sexually dimorphic amelogenin peptides in human tooth enamel represents a breakthrough for both archaeology and anthropology. Tooth enamel contains sex chromosome-linked isoforms of amelogenin, an enamel-forming protein, which preserves well even in archaeological specimens. Through the analysis of amelogenin peptides in the tooth enamel of the most socially prominent person of the Iberian Copper Age (c. 3200-2200 BCE), scientists at the University of Seville establish that the individual was not male, as previously thought, but female. The analysis of this woman, now re-dubbed the Ivory Lady, reveals that she was a leading social figure at a time where no male attained a remotely comparable social position.
Recreation drawing of ‘The Ivory Lady.’ Image credit: Miriam Luciañez Triviño.
Given the absence of written records, the main source of information available to analyze gender inequalities in early complex societies is the human body itself.
And yet, for decades, archaeologists have struggled with the sex estimation of poorly preserved human remains.
In 2008, an individual was discovered in a tomb at the Copper Age mega-site of Valencia in Spain.
As well as being a rare example of a single occupancy burial, the tomb contained a large number of valuable goods, including ivory tusks, high-quality flint, ostrich eggshell, amber, and a rock crystal dagger.
The finds suggested that this individual — originally thought to be a young male aged between 17 and 25 years — held a high status within society.
In the new research, University of Seville researcher Marta Cintas‑Peña and her colleagues used amelogenin peptide analysis to test for the presence of the sexually-dimorphic enamel-forming protein amelogenin in the teeth of the specimen.
The analysis of a molar and an incisor detected the presence of the AMELX gene — which produces amelogenin and is located on the X chromosome — indicating that the individual was female rather than male.
“This means that the highest ranked person in Iberian Copper Age society was a woman, now re-dubbed the Ivory Lady,” the researchers said.
“Additionally, the lack of goods in infant burials suggests that, in this period, individuals were not granted high status by birth rite.”
“We suggest that the Ivory Lady achieved her status through merit and achievements in life.”
“No male of similarly high status has yet been found,” they added.
“As the only comparably lavish Copper Age tomb in the region, containing at least 15 women, was found next to the tomb of the ‘Ivory Lady’ and is presumed to have been built by people who claimed descent from her.”
“This suggests that women occupied positions of leadership in Iberian Copper Age society.”
The team’s paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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M. Cintas-Peña et al. 2023. Amelogenin peptide analyses reveal female leadership in Copper Age Iberia (c. 2900-2650 BC). Sci Rep 13, 9594; doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-36368-x
