A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The objective of this study has been to confirm the sex and the affinity of an individual buried in a well-furnished warrior grave (Bj 581) in the Viking Age town of Birka, Sweden. Previously, based on the material and historical records, the male sex has been associated with the gender of the warrior and such was the case with Bj 581. An earlier osteological classification of the individual as female was considered controversial in a historical and archaeological context. A genomic confirmation of the biological sex of the individual was considered necessary to solve the issue.

Materials and methods

Genome-wide sequence data was generated in order to confirm the biological sex, to support skeletal integrity, and to investigate the genetic relationship of the indi

SUBMITTER: Hedenstierna-Jonson C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5724682 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature