See 'hyperrealistic' reconstructions of 2 Stone Age sisters who worked in brutal mine in the Czech Republic 6,000 years

[Judi Lynn]

See 'hyperrealistic' reconstructions of 2 Stone Age sisters who worked in brutal mine in the Czech Republic 6,000 years ago

By Sascha Pare
published 2 hours ago

New reconstructions based on the skeletons of two sisters who lived in a prehistoric mining community in what is now the Czech Republic show what they likely looked like and wore.



3D reconstructions of two Neolithic sisters, one blonde and one brunette.
The sisters lived to be 30 to 40 years old, despite a life of hard labor and injuries. (Image credit: Vaníčková et al. 2025)



Researchers have unveiled two "hyperrealistic" reconstructions of adult sisters who lived and worked in a brutal mining community in what is now the Czech Republic more than 6,000 years ago.

The stunning, 3D reconstructions are based on a new analysis of the sisters' remains, which were unearthed more than 15 years ago from a prehistoric chert mine in the South Moravian region. New evidence suggests the sisters worked in the mine, extracting heavy rocks for tools and weapons.

The new study was published June 18 in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.

The sisters were buried one on top of the other in a mining shaft. The first skeleton, belonging to the younger sister, was discovered 20 feet (6 meters) below ground, and the second skeleton was found 3 feet (1 m) below that. The women were buried in the shaft "probably because they had worked there," said study co-author Martin Oliva, an archaeologist at the Moravian Museum.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/see-hyperrealistic-reconstructions-of-2-stone-age-sisters-who-worked-in-brutal-mine-in-the-czech-republic-6-000-years-ago

[Danascot]

1. Please don't bury me at work.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Ancient Sister Miners Discovered: Ritual Burial Reveals Hard Lives of Prehistoric Women

Researchers have unearthed the remains of two women and a newborn buried deep within Shaft No. 4—part of one of the largest prehistoric chert mining complexes in Europe. The burials, associated with the Late Lengyel culture (4340–4050 BCE), offer a rare and detailed window into the harsh realities and complex rituals of Neolithic society.

Hidden Beneath Centuries: A Ritual Mine Burial
Excavations at the site revealed the skeletons of two adult females and a full-term newborn. One of the most intriguing aspects of the find is the apparent ritual nature of the burial. The upper skeleton lay with a newborn placed gently on her chest, while a dog skull and additional bones were arranged nearby—elements suggesting symbolic significance rather than a standard interment.

Carbon dating confirmed the age of the remains, placing them squarely in the transitional period between the Neolithic and Eneolithic eras. Both women were short in stature (around 146–148 cm) and showed signs of childhood malnutrition. However, their adult skeletons revealed pronounced muscular attachments and vertebral damage—evidence of a physically demanding life.

Females in the Mines: Victims or Workers?
This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about gender roles in prehistoric mining. “Both women showed significant spinal stress, Schmorl’s nodes, and even spondylolysis,” said Dr. Zdeněk Tvrdý, lead anthropologist on the study. “These are consistent with carrying heavy loads, possibly while working in a forward-bent posture typical of mining.”

One of the skeletons (H2a) exhibited a poorly healed fracture in the ulna, forming a pseudoarthrosis—strongly suggesting the woman continued labor despite a significant injury. The researchers suggest these females were likely not passive ritual offerings, but active laborers in the mine, potentially forced into hard labor due to their physical frailty and social status.

More:
https://arkeonews.net/ancient-sister-miners-discovered-ritual-burial-reveals-hard-lives-of-prehistoric-women/