Archaeology & History

9,000-year-old six-fingered shaman woman discovered near Jerusalem

By T.K. Randall
February 10, 2025 ·  5 comments

Archaeologists working at the excavation site. Image Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority Dating back some 9,000 years, the find - which was made at the Motza archaeological site in the hills of Jerusalem - consists of a tomb containing the remains of a very unique individual.

Believed to be female, the skeleton is that of a shaman with the unusual trait of having six fingers - a physical characteristic that, at the time, was often associated with distinction and spiritual authority.

The women was over 15 years old at the time of her death and had been laid to rest with an abundance of funerary objects including green stone and mother-of-pearl necklaces.

The tomb also contained stone bracelets and pendants as well as beads made from exotic materials.Historical research indicates that the children of the time wore stone bracelets until they reached adolescence, after which they would participate in an initiation ceremony.

If the child died before reaching maturity, they would be buried with the bracelets still on their arms.

It is thought that this might have been the case here.

"The discovery of the ancient shaman's tomb in Motza opens a window into the spiritual world of communities that lived approximately 10,000 years ago," said Eli Eskosido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

"These remains show how complex and rich the cultural beliefs of ancient humanity were."

Source: Jerusalem Post | Comments (5)

Tags: Shaman, Neolithic