Scientists have examined the remains of an ascetic monk bound in "chains," whose burial was excavated in Israel several years ago. The researchers analyzed the proteins in the man's tooth enamel and concluded that the fifth-century AD tomb likely contained a woman who tormented herself with iron chains. The article was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
In East Jerusalem, a few kilometers from the Old City, lies the site of Khirbat el-Masani, where archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a Byzantine monastery that existed between 350 and 650 CE. During recent excavations at this site, researchers discovered several burials, likely dating back to the 5th century CE. In one of these tombs, they found the poorly preserved remains of a man buried in chains—heavy iron objects worn by ascetic monks to restrain the body. At the site of the man's neck, arms, and legs, the scientists discovered numerous large metal rings, approximately ten centimeters in diameter and weighing several dozen kilograms.
The skeleton of this ascetic monk has survived to this day in a very fragmentary state, with the few remaining bones literally crumbling when touched. Nevertheless, Paula Kotli of the Weizmann Institute of Science, together with Israeli colleagues, conducted an examination of these remains. Three preserved cervical vertebrae and one tooth allowed us to determine that the burial belonged to an adult, likely between 30 and 60 years old at death.
To determine the individual's gender, scientists used peptide analysis of the enamel of the only remaining tooth—a second premolar in the upper jaw. They found that the sample lacked peptides specific to the AMELY protein, the coding gene for which is located on the Y chromosome. Instead, they detected a significant amount of peptides for the AMELX protein, the gene for which is located on the X chromosome. This led them to conclude that the tomb, dating from the late antique period, likely contained the remains of a woman.
По словам исследователей, известно, что женщины в Римской империи по крайней мере с IV века нашей эры принимали аскезу. Причем к самоограничениям, необходимым для достижения духовных целей, обращались известные аристократки, к которым относилась, например, Мелания Старшая — христианская святая, происходившая из богатой знатной семьи, а также ее внучка — Мелания Римляныня. Однако захоронение, исследованию которого посвятили новую статью ученые, все равно обращает на себя внимание, поскольку это первое археологическое свидетельство того, что в Византии того времени женщины, а не только мужчины, занимались самоистязанием через ношение тяжелых вериг.
Белки могут сохраняться в зубной эмали гораздо дольше, нежели ДНК. Поэтому ученые все чаще обращаются к их анализу, когда исследуют древние останки. Например, ранее на N + 1 рассказывали, как по соотношению изоформ амелогенина в зубной эмали исследователи определили пол гоминин, которые жили в Южной Африке больше двух миллионов лет назад.
