An archaeological discovery near Jerusalem has shaken the foundations of historical knowledge about asceticism in the Byzantine era. A team of scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Antiquities Authority has identified the remains of a woman in an ascetic burial traditionally associated with men, a discovery that raises new questions about the role of women in extreme religious practices of the 5th century AD.

During excavations at the Khirbat el-Masani site, a Byzantine monastery dated between the 4th and 7th centuries, several tombs were uncovered. Among them, one stood out in particular: a burial where the individual had been wrapped in chains, an ascetic practice symbolizing the sacrifice of the body and detachment from the material world. Traditionally, this type of penance has been associated with male anchorites, leading archaeologists to assume that the remains belonged to a man. However, the poor preservation of the bones prevented a conclusive osteological determination of the individual’s sex.

Faced with the inability to rely on traditional osteological methods, researchers turned to dental enamel proteomics, an innovative technique that allows for determining biological sex through the analysis of proteins in tooth enamel. In this case, scientists analyzed the presence of the amelogenin protein, which has specific variants in the X and Y chromosomes. The absence of the male variant (AmelY) in the sample conclusively indicated that the individual was a woman.

Byzantine monk chains woman
Map of the archaeological site of Khirbat el-Masani’, near Ramat Shlomo, Jerusalem, and the church of El-Masani with the grave of the find (T3) indicated by an arrow. Credit: Matan Chocron / Israel Antiquities Authority

The finding challenges the established belief that extreme asceticism, such as the use of chains to limit mobility, was an exclusively male practice. While cases are known of noblewomen who founded monasteries and participated in religious life, identifying a woman who took her devotion to the extreme of self-mortification is unprecedented in the archaeological record.

Historians have documented female figures in early Christianity who adopted ascetic lifestyles, such as Melania the Younger, who withdrew to a tiny cell for prayer and fasting. However, no material evidence had been found confirming that some women also adopted the most extreme forms of penance.

The monastery where the tomb was found was strategically located along the Christian pilgrimage route to Jerusalem. During the Byzantine period, the city became a major religious center, attracting worshipers from across the Roman Empire.

Byzantine monk chains woman
The remains of the “monk” at the time of the find. Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

Monasteries served not only as spiritual centers but also as refuges for pilgrims. In this context, the presence of a female ascetic suggests that women’s participation in these communities may have been more active and rigorous than previously thought.

The discovery highlights the importance of women in the monastic movement and challenges conventional narratives about female participation in religion and spirituality. Moreover, it underscores how scientific advancements, in this case, dental enamel proteomics, are revolutionizing the way archaeologists and anthropologists reconstruct the past.

Researchers have emphasized the need to continue exploring other archaeological contexts with this methodology to detect possible similar cases. This is only the beginning of a reassessment of how we understand female asceticism in the Byzantine world, the researchers affirm.

SOURCES

Paula Kotli, David Mongenstern, et al., Sexing remains of a Byzantine ascetic burial using enamel proteomics. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 62, April 2025, 104972. doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.104972

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