In a study conducted on Iberian prehistory, researchers determined that the ruler of the southwest Iberian Peninsula during the Eneolithic period, spanning roughly from 3500 to 1700 BCE, was a woman. The findings have been published in a scientific journal, presenting new insights into the gender dynamics of Copper Age leadership in this region.
Researchers focused on a single tomb at Montelirio de Tolosa in Spain, associated with the Copper Age aristocracy and the most influential figure remembered in Iberian archaeology from that era. After the artifact’s careful opening, a peptide analysis of the tooth enamel revealed the presence of amelogenin, a protein linked to enamel formation that differs by sex. Specifically, the AMELX gene, carried on the X chromosome and responsible for amelogenin production, was detected in the mummy’s tooth enamel, while AMELY, typically found only in males, was not present. These molecular clues led scientists to conclude that the interred individual in the tomb was female, challenging assumptions about elite burial practices in this period.
From this discovery, scholars propose that Montelirio’s burial landscape might be interpreted differently. There appears to be a second tomb complex located about 100 meters south of the principal female burial. This adjacent site contains a two-room structure and additional burials: twenty individuals rest in the large chamber, two in a smaller room, and three more lie in the corridor. All of these interments postdate the female ancestor’s burial, suggesting a layered mortuary sequence in which female leadership did not exist in isolation but potentially shaped long-established burial customs over time.
Recent scholarship also notes broader implications for the understanding of early Christian female influence along the Anglo-Saxon social elite. Although predating Christianization in the British Isles, certain architectural and symbolic indicators at Montelirio resonate with later patterns observed among early Christian women of high status in other European contexts, inviting a cross-cultural dialogue about gender and leadership during transitional periods in European history. This comparative perspective underscores the value of integrating archaeometric methods with typological and contextual analysis to refine narratives about ancient women’s roles in politics, religion, and daily life.