Thursday, Mar 28 2024
All Cities
Choose Your City
'Please will you get a message to my wife in Paris, to say I bless my son?-reported final words of Admiral Kolchak'
0

Female 'Amazon' warrior buried 2,500 years ago in Altai Mountains was... male

By 0 and 0 and 0
01 December 2015

0

Archeologists and anthropologists believed she was not only female - and a pig-tailed teenager - but a member of an elite corps of warriors within the Pazyryk culture. Picture: Marcel Nyffenegger, Natalia Polosmak

A Swiss taxidermy expert brought 'her' to life, recreating the 'virgin' warrior's looks from facial bones, and some observers commented on her distinctly masculine appearance. 

Yet archeologists and anthropologists believed she was not only female - and a pig-tailed teenager - but a member of an elite corps of warriors within the Pazyryk culture which suggested likenesses to the fabled Amazon warriors of known to the Greeks. 

Entombed next to a much older man - perhaps father and daughter? - the remains lay beside shields, battle axes, bows and arrowheads, while the warrior's physique indicated a skilled horse rider and archer.

Restored face


Grave adornments and face reconstruction

Some observers commented on her distinctly masculine appearance. Pictures: Marcel Nyffenegger, Natalia Polosmak and Elena Shumakova for Science First Hand 

Cowrie shells, amulets for female fertility but exceptionally rare in Pazyryk burials, were a tell-tale sign that this was a young woman, but so were various adornments to the grave -  for example, the 'coffin', the wooden pillow, the quiver, all smaller in comparison to usual male burials. In a singular honour, nine horses - four of them bridled - were buried with the skeleton, an escort to the afterlife.

But a major revamping is now underway. New DNA analysis indicates unequivocally that the remains were male and not female. 

The pioneering research was conducted by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Novosibirsk State University. 

Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?


Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?


Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?


Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?


Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?

Entombed next to a much older man - perhaps father and daughter? - the remains lay beside shields, battle axes, bows and arrowheads, while the warrior's physique indicated a skilled horse rider and archer. Pictures: Natalia Polosmak

This obtained 'reliable molecular genetic data' indicating that the supposed female warrior 'was male', according to a report released by Science First Hand co-authored by Dr Alexander Pilipenko, of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, and Dr Natalia Polosmak, of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,  at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in Novosibirsk.

The research also found that the relationship between the two people buried in the tomb at the Ak-Alakha 1 Mound 1 was not father and son but perhaps uncle and nephew. The cause of death of the pig-tailed ancient youth was not established. 

Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?


Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?


Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?


Is this the face of an ancient Amazon female warrior?

Swiss expert Marcel Nyffenegger was asked to recreate a likeness of the supposed female warrior for the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, Germany. Pictures: Marcel Nyffenegger

The discovery of the remains was described in a 1994 book by Dr Polosmak as 'unique' because of the way the female skeleton was dressed in male clothing and buried with weapons.

Swiss expert Marcel Nyffenegger was asked to recreate a likeness of the supposed female warrior for the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, Germany.

Working with a 3D model of the skull, he spent a month painstakingly piecing together her facial muscles and tissue layers as well as reconstructing her skin structure, eyes and expression.

The resulting Plasticine model was then covered with silicone and a rubber-resin mixture before finer details such as eyebrows and eyelashes were added. 

Please see our previous article about this remarkable burial.

Comments (24)

Idk Nadejda maybe we think she may be trans because she was born a man and they did a DNA test on her?

I mean they did say they did a DNA test, or did you just skip over that part.

Kinda getting tired of cis people trying to erase us from history.

She was a transfem warrior, simple as that.

But I'm sure your going to come up with something bs.

To explane the trans away.
Ame, America
01/02/2023 17:49
0
0
I´d like to know that person but if he/she was a warrior probably would cut my head off
Mauricio, Brazil
14/02/2016 03:39
0
0
Tom UK, khutulun, a Mongolian princess, was one of the strongest warriors in the world, go and speak on your stupid incel forum.
Ultra Chad, usa
02/09/2020 14:05
1
2
Of course the very large majority of the human race are either male or female. But todays widening understanding of sexual changeability, transexuality, homosexuality,etc, I for one can see than between the men and women's society, there is a "noman's land" with other people with very differing approches to thier sexual existance. Sexual democracy ? X and/or Y chromosones ? No conclusion should be made.
Barrie Baldwin, St Vivien de Medoc, France.
07/07/2018 01:16
5
9
Why couldn't she/he be a woman warrior? History tells us of brave women warriors. During WW2, women helped in the defeat of Nazi Regime & suffered same punishments by Nazis as was given to Russian men soldiers! Russian men will tell same story! In Western World, it is inconceivable that women can be strong & brave - as are men. Whether or not Pazyryk remains is woman or man, doesn't discount the reality that Siberian/Russian women make good & brave warriors.
nadejda kuznetzvoa, Brisbane, Australia
08/01/2018 06:01
7
3
Dear Tom UK, there have been many female warriors in history. a famous general- favorite of a Chinese Emperor; a Japanese Samurai female who battled w/ an enemy on horseback, and when he tore her silk robe with the tip of his sword, she lobed off his head and threw it at the feet of her husband; Boudica, Celtic head of the Iceni tribe of Britain; Scandinavian warrior women, just to name a few. You need to read more history, man!
Vanda Burns, Fl, USA
14/11/2016 03:56
9
5
Tom ,Uk, guess we don't need to be fighting warriors to take control...Adam, Samson,etc etc
Delilah, Borneo
15/02/2016 06:19
13
0
For the person named tom, warrior women have existed in many cultures. Norse women warriors, indeed existed. So much so that is was part of their culture....
Lori S., Canada
15/02/2016 05:47
8
5
@Gerry, Ireland

What are you talking about? There have been quite a few instances of women warriors in history, hell, the Syrian Army has women soldiers that fight.
Touka, US
14/02/2016 01:19
6
7
The first female Army Battlefield Engineer went on convalescence leave (mental/psychological) and never returned. She was AWOL and just designated a deserter. Female "warriors" indeed.
smookykins, New Kensington, PA
14/02/2016 00:40
8
11
Soon the pundits will be claiming with confidence that she was a proud trans woman!
Gerry, Ireland
13/02/2016 23:30
21
5
There have never been warrior women in any culture. All instances are one offs or myths or figureheads who didn't actually fight.

That goes for the modern military too. Token roles, politically manufactured positions that make no actual contribution beyond propaganda.

Women aren't warriors and they never have been.
Tom, UK
13/02/2016 22:17
18
37
The first "Bruce Jenner"
Vlad, Vladisvostok
17/01/2016 22:22
19
4
What's with the strange folds of flesh on the neck? Is Mr. Nyffenegger confusing Siberia with Innsmouth?
Max Colodi, USA
21/12/2015 10:44
6
2
Simply a soldiers Spartan type association...nothing unique
Frederick D., MILLSBORO Delaware, USA
11/12/2015 02:14
0
2
12

Add your comment

We welcome a healthy debate, but do not accept offensive or abusive comments. Please also read 'Siberian Times' Privacy Policy

Name

Town/Country

Add your comments

The views expressed in the comments above are those of our readers. 'Siberian Times' reserves the right to pre-moderate some comments.

Control code*

Type the code

* obligatory


News

Business

The Bank of Russia official exchange rates of foreign currencies
EUR100.27USD92.59GBP116.93Other...