Recent discovery in Spain sheds light on women in power 5,000 years ago

Archaeologists have recently excavated a tomb in southwestern Spain that is approximately 5,000 years old, discovering a collection of more than 270,000 beads. According to scientists, this find emphasizes the important social roles of women at the time.

Beads regularly appear in archaeological finds as a form of decoration, currency, and social exchange. However, according to new research, the collection from Montelirio grave, part of an archaeological site near Seville, is the largest ever recorded worldwide, CNN reports.

The researchers estimated that the collection contained 270,769 round beads made mostly of shells.

Experts believe that ten people had to work eight hours a day for 206 days, or about seven months, to make such a piece of jewelry. And that doesn't include the time it took to collect the natural material, similar to scallops, from the seashore.

"We think the beads formed ceremonial clothing that was worn by these women, who were very important socially or religiously, at special occasions or special ceremonies," said lead author Leonardo García Sanjuán, a professor of prehistory at the University of Seville.

According to archaeologists, the remains of 20 people were found in one tomb, 15 of whom were women, and the remaining 5 could not be identified. Excavations in the tomb over the past few years have uncovered many beads that experts believe were strung together to make clothing for the person buried, Phys.org reports.

According to the study, a comprehensive analysis of the bead collection sheds light on the formidable status of women in the society that once lived in Valencia.

García Sanjuán said he wanted to explore whether society in Spain was matriarchal during this period, a time when a more hierarchical society was beginning to take shape in Europe.

"Matriarchy has been a very controversial concept in history and anthropology, but I am quite keen now to tackle it head-on, because I think it’s just not chance that we are seeing repeatedly these cases at this time, you know, between 2900 and 2600 (years BC) of all these great, very, very high standing, powerful women," the scientist emphasized.

According to archaeological data, Tholos de Montelirio is a megalithic archaeological site in Spain with remains and artifacts dating back to between 2875 and 2635 BC. It is believed that the site was used to bury people in numerous graves for about 200 years.

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