The individual, now known as the ‘Ivory Lady,’ was found buried in a tomb filled with the largest collection of rare and valuable items in the region, including ivory tusks, high-quality flint, ostrich eggshell, amber, and a rock crystal dagger.

According to peptide analysis reported in Scientific Reports, it has been revealed that the most esteemed individual in ancient Copper Age society in Iberia was, contrary to previous beliefs, a woman rather than a man.

This significant finding emerged from the examination of the remains of an individual, now known as the ‘Ivory Lady,’ who was interred in a tomb containing an extensive collection of rare and valuable items, including ivory tusks, high-quality flint, ostrich eggshell, amber, and a rock crystal dagger.

These discoveries shed light on the influential roles that women could hold within this ancient society.

In 2008, an excavation in Valencia, Spain uncovered a tomb dating back to the Copper Age, spanning between 3,200 and 2,200 years ago. The burial was unique as it housed a single individual and was accompanied by a multitude of valuable artifacts, suggesting that this person, initially presumed to be a young male aged 17 to 25, occupied a position of high status.

Marta Cintas-Peña and her team employed amelogenin peptide analysis to examine the teeth of the specimen. This analysis targeted the sexually-dimorphic enamel-forming protein called amelogenin.

The presence of the AMELX gene, which produces amelogenin and is located on the X chromosome, was detected in a molar and an incisor, indicating that the individual was actually female rather than male.

Consequently, the authors conclude that the most prominent figure in Copper Age Iberian society was a woman. Furthermore, the absence of grave goods in infant burials suggests that high status was not automatically conferred by birthright during this period. Instead, the authors propose that the Ivory Lady achieved her esteemed position through personal merits and accomplishments in life.

The authors note that no similarly high-ranking male has been discovered to date. Notably, a neighboring lavish Copper Age tomb containing at least 15 women, believed to have been constructed by descendants of the ‘Ivory Lady,’ supports the notion that women held leadership positions in Iberian Copper Age society.

This provides further evidence of the prominent roles and influence of women during that time.

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