Using dental enamel protein analysis, researchers identified the likely biological sex of the ascetic as female, challenging assumptions about early Christian practices. This find reveals that women, not just men, engaged in extreme asceticism, reshaping our understanding of early Christian devotional traditions. In the 21st century, this fascination with extreme asceticism re-emerged in the public consciousness through the character of Silas, the self-flagellating monk in the thriller novel The Da Vinci Code. “In animaldom, Kotli and others developed a methodology to sex ancient remains based on a protein in dental enamel, amelogenin, which differs slightly between males and females,” Haaretz summarizes. But the presence of a Y-linked amelogenin means the tooth in question was in the mouth of a biological male.

Source: CNN March 21, 2026 03:26 UTC