A female skelton buried with metal bracelets on her arms, found in CambodiaTOKYO (AFP) — Archaeologists have found female skeletons buried with metal swords in Cambodian ruins, indicating there may have been a civilisation with female warriors, the mission head said Thursday.
The team dug up 35 human skeletons at five locations in Phum Snay in northwestern Cambodia in research earlier this year, said Japanese researcher Yoshinori Yasuda, who led the team.
"Five of them were perfect skeletons and we have confirmed all of them were those of females," Yasuda told AFP. The skeletons were believed to date back to the first to fifth century AD.
The five were found buried together with steel or bronze swords, and helmet-shaped objects, said Yasuda, who is from the government-backed International Research Center for Japanese Studies.
"It is very rare that swords are found with women. This suggests it was a realm where female warriors were playing an active role," he said.
"Women traditionally played the central role in the rice-farming and fishing societies," he said. "It's originally a European concept that women are weak and therefore should be protected."
"The five skeletons were well preserved because they had been buried in important spots at the tombs," he said.
It was the first time that large-scale research was conducted on the Phum Snay relics, which were found in 1999.
It is believed there was a civilisation inhabited with several thousand rice-farming people between the first to fifth century.
The team dug up 35 human skeletons at five locations in Phum Snay in northwestern Cambodia in research earlier this year, said Japanese researcher Yoshinori Yasuda, who led the team.
"Five of them were perfect skeletons and we have confirmed all of them were those of females," Yasuda told AFP. The skeletons were believed to date back to the first to fifth century AD.
The five were found buried together with steel or bronze swords, and helmet-shaped objects, said Yasuda, who is from the government-backed International Research Center for Japanese Studies.
"It is very rare that swords are found with women. This suggests it was a realm where female warriors were playing an active role," he said.
"Women traditionally played the central role in the rice-farming and fishing societies," he said. "It's originally a European concept that women are weak and therefore should be protected."
"The five skeletons were well preserved because they had been buried in important spots at the tombs," he said.
It was the first time that large-scale research was conducted on the Phum Snay relics, which were found in 1999.
It is believed there was a civilisation inhabited with several thousand rice-farming people between the first to fifth century.
5 comments:
Wow that is a very interesting discovery. I hope we can build more museum for that. It will be great if the Japanese would lease some lands and build something to attract more tourists. This will be an experience of a life time.
Ancient Khme society was matriarchical. Liv Yi was a warrior queen. So the discovery only confirmed what we already know.
Are you going to have petition every week for us to sign now?
In the first to fifth century AD Cambodian society really respect Cambodian women but in 2007 AH HUN SEN turn Cambodian women into sex slaves!
Wrong, the reason Khmer women lost power is because they abused men and were toppled by men, but nonetheless, real Khmer women is no sissy like western women. They can knocked out all your teeth with just one blow. They developed their strength from a very young age by carrying their younger brother or sister in their arm for hours and helping around the house. Typically, they are an adult by the age of 14 and they can cook and maintained their own family ... . That is why, in the old days, they were allowed to marry and young age.
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