10th Century 'Warrior Woman' Buried With Archery Equipment Baffles Researchers

Burials shed light on many aspects related to history. The traditions of a particular period and the respect associated with a particular profession at that time all garner a clear picture with the examination of the resting place. A study published in PLOS One focuses on an intriguing medieval grave found in Hungary. The burial stood apart from others at the site, which led to many interesting speculations. 

The grave, along with 262 other burials, was uncovered in the early 1980s at Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld (SH). Examinations concluded that the findings dated back to the Hungarian Conquest period in the 10th century. The most noteworthy grave in the collection was SH-63. 

Fifty-eight burials at Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld (SH) were found to be carrying archery weapons items like bow plates, quivers, and arrowheads. However, the SH-63 burial was the only one on the site that also contained jewelry mixed with weapons. The specific resting place contained items like semi-precious stones, a silver hair ring, a quiver, glass beads, and many more, stated The Jerusalem Post. "The burial at the Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld cemetery is unique in its composition of grave goods," said Dr. Balazs Tihanyi, the head of the research group. "Despite the fact that not many rich burial items were found, it is unique in the composition of burial goods."

Such objects typically imply that the resting place was meant for a woman, stated Live Science. The catch was that the site had a mix of male and female burials. This means that many other graves contained women, but only this one was bestowed with jewelry. 

In order to understand the context of the unusual occurrence, the team decided to take a closer look at the human remains inside that burial. Bone and DNA analysis confirmed that the individual was an older adult female. Researchers noted that the woman had lightweight bones, which indicated that she could be suffering from a condition called osteoporosis. Experts also observed that the woman had several healed fractures on her body. Furthermore, the right upper arm and shoulder blades showed signs of being broken at certain spots. Such injuries are very common in people suffering from osteoporosis; however, similar wounds were also observed on the skeletons of several males in the cemetery.

Most of these men carrying such injuries were laid to rest with weapons and horse-riding tools. The arrangement of the woman's bones and joints indicated that she was participating regularly in a physical activity like horse riding. All this evidence implied that she was possibly a warrior fighting battles along with the men. Researchers, however, do not want to assert this claim before further investigation. The team claims that several women in this period were learning archery to defend themselves and their livestock. They didn't use their skills in war; instead, they protected their livelihoods. The team wants to clarify how the woman used the weapon before identifying her as a warrior. 

The finding, though, remains valuable in a historical context for researchers. This is because the grave is the first known female burial carrying weapons from the Hungarian Conquest period in the Carpathian Basin.