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Yes, the Decorated Viking Warrior Grave Really Did Belong to a Female
The stench of patriarchy, in this case, is strong
Our species is ripe with exceptional qualities, and we burst with intricate complexities — many of which we’re still discovering. We’re also masters of duality, solid yet fragile or violent and destructive yet delicate and soothing. Sometimes though, our traits hinder rather than help us.
Like, our intelligence is impressive, to be sure, but our egos often limit how and what we learn. For instance, our ability to deny information that conflicts with our preconceived beliefs is genuinely remarkable. It might even be entertaining if it weren’t also so frustratingly detrimental to our progress.
I was reminded of this recently when I learned about some drama over the gender (yes, gender) of a presumed ancient Viking warrior that’s been going on for decades. Science says the skeleton is a woman, but scientists say, “check again — and again — and again — and again.”
Birka, Sweden
Let’s start from the beginning.
On the island of Björkö, to the east of Sweden, are the remains of a small medieval town named Birka. Today its a tourist destination and protected World Heritage Site, but in the 8th century, it thrived as a…
