The highest status individual in ancient Iberian copper age society was a woman, not a man as previously believed, according to a new study.
A treasure-packed tomb outside Seville dating back to around 2,850 BC was thought to belong to a young man between 17 and 25 years old.
But a new technique shows the remains are of a woman, say researchers.
They have named her “Ivory Lady”. She was buried with ivory tusks, ostrich eggshell, and a rock crystal dagger.
Marta Cintas‑Peña, an associate professor of prehistory at the University of Seville, along with her colleagues, detected Ivory Lady’s sex using a new technique that identifies chromosomal information in tooth enamel.