A mysterious 2,000-year-old Iron Age warrior was female, a new study shows

Experts puzzling over the remains of an ancient warrior found in a 2,000-year-old grave off the coast of Britain have concluded the buried person was female.

Mystery has surrounded the Iron Age figure interred on Bryher, one of the Scilly Isles southwest of mainland Britain, since it was discovered in 1999. The grave contained a sword and shield, items traditionally associated with male burials, as well as a mirror, which was typically buried alongside women.

Tooth enamel indicated with a 96% probability the person was female, according to a study published Thursday in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

The grave, which is dated from BC 100 to BC 50, offers a rare glimpse into ancient British life, and suggests that women may have taken an active part in military raids before the tribal warrior queen Boudicca led a fierce uprising against the Roman colonization of Britain in AD 60.