5000-year-old caveman 'outed'

Archaeologists said the burial was unlikely to be a mistake as people of that era took their rituals very seriously. (AGENCY)

The remains, which dating from 2500 to 2900 BC, were buried in a way normally reserved for women of the Stone Age "Corded Ware" culture.

They were found in the Czech Republic, with the skull facing eastwards and surrounded by domestic jugs - rituals only previously seen in female graves.

Professor Kamila Vesinova, who led the dig, said that the caveman could even have been a transsexual.

"People from this period took funeral rites very seriously so it is highly unlikely this positioning was a mistake," he said.

"Far more likely is that he had a different sexual orientation, probably homosexual or transsexual."

In Corded Ware culture men were buried lying on their right side with their heads pointing west - alongside tools, weapons, food and drink. Women were buried on their left sides with jewellery and pottery.

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