9.000-year-old tomb of a woman with six fingers discovered in Jerusalem

Between 2018 and 2020, a series of excavations were carried out at the Motza site near Jerusalem, Israel, one of the largest concentrations of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlements in the region.

One of the discoveries was the grave of a Neolithic woman who is believed to have played a spiritual role in her community, approximately 9.000 years ago. 

The results of this research were recently published in the journal Atiqot, detailing that the woman had six fingers on her left hand and could have been a shaman.

The woman's unusual physical trait, polydactyly, a phenomenon in which a baby is born with six fingers on one hand, was in many ancient cultures a sign of distinction and spiritual power. But the tomb also contained funerary objects such as green stone necklaces and mother-of-pearl jewellery, which reinforces the theory.

According to archaeologists, stone bracelets found in some tombs are related to rituals of transition between life and death. Children wore them until adolescence, when they took part in initiation ceremonies. If they died before reaching maturity, they were buried with these pieces still in their arms.

Eli Eskosido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said: “The discovery of this ancient shaman’s grave in Motza offers us a glimpse into the spiritual beliefs of communities living 10,000 years ago.” He added: “These remains demonstrate the richness and complexity of symbolic thought in early human societies.”