Archaeologists have identified the first-known instance of a woman buried with weapons in Hungary’s Carpathian Basin, which dates back to the 10th century CE. The discovery was published in PLOS ONE by a research team led by Dr. Balázs Tihanyi of the University of Szeged.

A) Silhouette of the skeleton of SH-63 (drawing by Luca Kis based on the original field drawing by Ibolya M. Nepper); B) Illustration of the burial based on archaeological, anthropological, and archaeogenetic data (drawing by Luca Kis). Credit: B. Tihanyi et al. PLoS ONE (2024)

The burial, which is named Grave No. 63 (SH-63), is part of the Sárrétudvari–Hízóföld Cemetery in eastern Hungary, a site containing 262 graves from the Hungarian Conquest period. The epoch is symbolized by the migration of Magyars to Carpathian Basin and the beginning of their power in that part of Europe. The cemetery was explored in the 1980s and ever since it has been demolished by agricultural activity. Nonetheless, extensive research on the remains has given excellent information.

The cemetery almost exclusively contained male burials furnished with arms and equestrian paraphernalia, and female burials with jewellery and housewares. The inventory of SH-63 was relatively simple but unique. It included a silver penannular hair ring, three bell ʙuттons, a string of beads, an armor-piercing arrowhead, iron quiver parts, and an antler bow plate.

Determining the Sєx and potential lifestyle of SH-63 required a combination of archaeological, anthropological, and genetic analyses. Although bone preservation was poor, a histological study of the skull and genetic ᴀssessment established that the individual was female. The poor preservation limited the researchers’ ability to conduct detailed anthropological analyses. However, the presence of osteoporosis and other traits indirectly supported their conclusions about her Sєx.

The skeletal remains discovered in grave No. 63. A) PH๏τo indicating the current state of preservation of the bones (pH๏τo by Luca Kis); and B) PH๏τo of the burial No. 63 in situ (pH๏τo taken by Ibolya M Nepper, edited by Luca Kis). Credit: B. Tihanyi et al. PLoS ONE (2024)

Signs of physical activity were evident in her skeletal remains, including changes in joint morphology and multiple traumas. These markers align with activities such as archery or horse riding, although they do not definitively establish her as a warrior. “The three major traumas identified in her upper limbs likely resulted from falls, suggesting a physically demanding lifestyle,” Dr. Tihanyi explained.

Her skeletal remains showed signs of physical activity, including changes in joint shape and multiple traumas. These markers suggest activities like archery or riding horses, but they don’t prove for sure that she was a warrior.

Archaeologists have found women buried with weapons in earlier times, like the Sarmatian and Avar eras in this area. These graves had one weapon or talismanic items but didn’t prove women were soldiers. The SH-63 burial from the Hungarian Conquest period is different. It shows a unique mix of gender, burial items, and social complexity.

Artifacts found in grave No. 63: 1) arrowhead; 2) bell ʙuттon; 3) silver penannular hair ring; 4) a string of beads; 5) fragments of bell ʙuттons; and 6) antler bow plate (pH๏τos taken by Zoltán Faur and edited by Luca Kis). Credit: B. Tihanyi et al. PLoS ONE (2024)

People know the Hungarian Conquest period for its mounted archers who changed the area’s history. But finding archery gear in a woman’s grave makes us rethink what we thought about gender and warfare during this era.

This finding creates new ways to look into how women lived in 10th-century Hungary. Looking at other graves in the Sárrétudvari–Hízóföld Cemetery might tell us more about how society worked and what women did day-to-day back then.

More information: Tihanyi B, Maár K, Kis L, Gînguță A, Varga GIB, Kovács B, et al. (2024) ‘But no living man am I’: Bioarchaeological evaluation of the first-known female burial with weapon from the 10th-century-CE Carpathian Basin. PLoS ONE 19(11): e0313963. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0313963