Angelo Isidorou

Published:August 10, 2021

-The Post Millennial

 

NPR has released a new report, declaring the remains of an ancient medieval warrior to be “nonbinary.” This determination was made recently, despite the grave itself being first discovered in 1968.

Located in Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, southern Finland, researchers claim the warrior was “non-binary” based on the fact that they are buried with traditionally feminine clothing. This includes jewelry such as brooches and fragments of woolen clothes. According to the published study, the warrior was also buried with at least one sword, which confused researchers as swords are typically masculine.

“I think it is a well researched study of an interesting burial, which demonstrates that early medieval societies had very nuanced approaches to and understandings of gender identities,” said Leszek Gardela, a researcher at the National Museum of Denmark.

The researchers also noted the honourable way in which the person is buried. According to the study, this is indicative of “a respected person whose gender identity may well have been non-binary.”

Additionally, DNA testing found chromosomes that did not match either male or female. The researchers concluded the warrior likely had Klinefelter syndrome and was anatomically male.

Females are typically born with two X chromosomes (XX) and males with one X and one Y chromosome (XY). Males born with Klinefelter syndrome are born with an extra X chromosome (XXY), according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.

c. THE POST MILLENNIAL