Researchers Unearth 'First Gay Caveman'

Position of body suggests 'different sexual orientation,' say researchers
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 7, 2011 4:45 AM CDT
Researchers Unearth 'First Gay Caveman'
Researchers believe a burial outside Prague from the Copper Age represents a different sexual orientation.   (?kevindooley)

The first known "gay caveman" has been unearthed in a dig outside Prague, researchers believe. Archeological team members based their conclusion on the fact that the male body was interred in a ritualistic way reserved for females. "We know people from this period took funeral rites very seriously so it is highly unlikely that this positioning was a mistake," said the lead archaeologist. "Far more likely is that he was a man with a different sexual orientation—homosexual or transsexual," she added.

The body dates to as long ago as 2900 BC, reports the Telegraph, and was buried with the head pointing east and surrounded by domestic jugs. Men at the time were buried facing west and surrounded by weapons and tools. "What we see here doesn't add up to traditional Corded Ware cultural norms," said the team leader. Another researcher classified it as "one of the earliest cases of what could be described as a 'transsexual' or 'third gender' grave." (More caveman stories.)

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