For decades, the identity of ancient people has been interpreted based on grave goods. It was assumed that, if they were buried with weapons or military items, it was a male. Contrariwise, if they were buried with feminine items (e.g., hairbrush, mirror), it was a female. Only with the development of osteology and genetics did gender determination become an objective matter, revolutionizing archeology and our understanding of the roles of genders in the past. Over the past century, women’s image as nurturing infants, chasing stubborn children, and otherwise busy with household chores while men go to battle has been challenged by the growing number of discoveries of women warriors. This pile of evidence, backed by genetic studies to validate the gender, confirms what was considered so far juicy myths or, at best, anecdotal events – that women warriors once existed and that they reached leadership positions and commanded men in battle. Evidence of women warriors comes from everywhere and everywhen—from ancient hunter-gatherer societies in what is now Peru and California to resourceful Mongolian women in the 6th century AD, who not only rode horseback and used bows and arrows but also held political and diplomatic positions. The archeological evidence is undeniable as the warriors were found with their full weapons and armor, pigments and cosmetics, and sometimes even their horses.

The full test includes six warrior women. The first four are dated to the Iron Age and were part of the culture we refer to as the Amazons—female warriors and hunters, who surpassed men in archery, horseback riding, and combat. Tales of the Amazons go back as far as the 7th century BC. Named slayers of men by Herodotus, Amazons became a matter of folklore and mythology. It was said that they removed the right breast (hence Amazon, breastless in Greek) to perfect their archery skills and interacted with males only for reproduction purposes, with the male infants returned to their fathers and the female infants retained. Evidence for the existence of Amazons is now widespread from Mongolia to Eastern Europe. This test includes two noble Sarmatian warriors found with their typical armory, swords, arrowheads, and hooks, as well as horse bridles and a hoard of bronze and gold jewelry in East Kazakhstan and two women from Pokrovka and Arzan (Russia).

The last warrior woman is a Viking. In the era where Viking women were farmers, traders, landowners, and merchants, our test includes the first-ever female Viking warrior (8th-10th centuries AD) that joined the ranks of Viking warriors. She was born to a Swedish family of traders, artisans, and warriors. She climbed the ranks to become a high-ranking warrior, skilled with swords, spears, axes, and even knives and was found with her beloved horses.

The final warrior woman was a medieval Finnish sword master from the Germanic Age (550 AD) who was buried with a fashionable cape, beautiful jewelry, and a terrible secret. The artifacts found in her grave are associated with the Crusade period in Finland.

Overall, the test includes six European and Asian warrior women who lived between 800 BC to 1050 AD and provides a detailed historical, archeological, and paleogenetic background of their lives. It describes their relationships with other ancient Europeans and the circumstances of their lives and health. A detailed profile is available for every woman. Find out now how related you are to these ancient women warriors.