#Proteinanalysis

A remarkable discovery in Jerusalem is reshaping our understanding of early Christian practices and challenging long-held assumptions about gender roles in religious asceticism. Archaeologists excavating a Byzantine-era monastery have unearthed skeletal remains—most notably, a tooth and three vertebrae entwined in chains—that provide the strongest evidence to date that women participated in extreme forms of ascetic self-punishment previously believed to be reserved solely for men. This finding, recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, not only broadens the historical narrative of Christian asceticism but also brings new perspectives to global discussions on the evolution of gender and spirituality.

A sensational archaeological find in Jerusalem is reshaping how we understand early Christian practices and gender roles in spiritual life. In a Byzantine-era monastery excavated near the Old City, archaeologists uncovered skeletal remains—most notably a tooth and three vertebrae wrapped in chains—that provide strong evidence that women participated in extreme ascetic self-punishment once thought to be a male-only domain. The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, broadens the narrative of Christian asceticism and informs ongoing conversations about gender and spirituality worldwide.