Prehistoric women's arms 'stronger than those of today's elite rowers'
by Nicola Davis from on (#39BDY)
New light shed on role of women in ancient communities, as bone analysis reveals profound effect of manual agricultural labour on the human body
Prehistoric women had stronger arms than elite female rowing teams do today thanks to the daily grind of farming life, researchers have revealed, shedding light on their role in early communities.
The study of ancient bones suggests that manual agricultural work had a profound effect on the bodies of women living in central Europe between about the early neolithic and late iron age, from about 5,300BC to AD100.