Reply #2: Third-Gender Neolithic Skeleton isn't as much of a catchy headline. [View All]

[Ian David]

<snip>

Instead, the possibility of a third-gender grave -- as outlined by the archaeologists -- is more plausible, he said, noting that some cultures have a third category where, in some cases, men may have feminine characteristics or roles.

"In anthropology, you can't equate third gender with homosexuality," he said.

Kristina Killgrove, an adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, raised similar concerns, saying that using the term "gay" to describe the man is "the application of a modern word to an ancient population."

<snip>

And whatever the man's sexual orientation, Hawks said the fact that he was buried with others is "a sign of cultural acceptance," suggesting that other graves could shed some light statistically on how people were buried in that time.

More:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/10/czech.republic.unusual.burial/index.html?hpt=T2