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Etruscan Warrior Prince Was Actually a Woman

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Oct 22, 2013 02:06 PM EDT

When researchers study the world's history, they rely heavily on fossils and other preserved items. Last month, archaeologists were lucky enough to find an entire tomb that was sealed and untouched in Tuscany, Italy. When the team first examined the tomb, they concluded that it must have been the body of a 2,600-year-old Etruscan prince who was buried alongside the ashes of his wife and his spear. However, after a more detailed investigation, researchers believe that the prince might actually be a princess.

According to Judith Weingarten, who is an alumna of the British School at Athens, the bone analysis suggested that the body in the tomb belonged to a woman between 35 and 40-years-old. Next to her skeleton was another skeleton that was partially incinerated. The analysis on this second body revealed that it belonged to a man.

The tomb was discovered in the Etruscan necropolis of Tarquinia, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The team of archaeologists detailed the discovery. They had removed a sealed slab and uncovered two large platforms. In one, there was a skeleton holding a spear and in the other, there was a partially incinerated skeleton. Along with these two platforms, the team discovered jewelry and a bronze-plated box. The team had assumed that the full skeleton holding the spear was a man since warriors tended to be males during that time.

"The spear, most likely, was placed as a symbol of union between the two deceased," reasoned Alessandro Mandolesi from the University of Turin reported by FOX News. Mandolesi was one of the archaeologists who excavated the site.

However, other experts do not agree with Mandolesi's explanation. Weingarten believes that since the spear was buried in her hands as opposed to the man's, the spear symbolized the princess's high status within the civilization thousands of years ago.

Even though the researchers will not be able to conclude her status and the symbol of the spear, the findings have intrigued researchers nonetheless. 

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