Ancient Shaman's Double Burial Unveils Surprising Ancestral Connection

A 9,000-year-old double burial discovered in Germany, initially believed to be a shaman and her infant, has been found to have a different relationship. Genetic research revealed that the woman was a fourth- or fifth-degree relative to the boy, suggesting she may have been his 4th-great-grandmother. The woman had typical features of Western European hunter-gatherers, including dark hair, skin, and bluish eyes. She also had physical anomalies, such as missing muscles and an abnormal blood vessel in her skull, which may have influenced her status as a shaman. The burial provides new insights into the Mesolithic period and the lives of European hunter-gatherer groups.