October
07
/ 2023
Archaeologists performing excavations at the 3,000-year-old Las Capellanías funerary complex in southwestern Spain have uncovered a decorated stela (standing stone slab) that features a unique and unprecedented mixture of characteristics that break previous gender stereotypes. The stone monument depicts a human being wearing a headdress and a necklace and carrying two swords. The person’s face, hands, and feet are portrayed in precise detail, as is the individual’s genitalia, which is male. While the weapons and male genitals are consistent with imagery found on other ancient stelae that depict male warriors, the headdress and necklace are features normally associated with stelae that pay tribute to women. This is a mixture of features never before seen, and it is forcing the experts
