The “Lovers of Modena”, a pair of skeletons so called because they were buried hand-in-hand, were both men, researchers have found. The bones, from between the 4th and 6th century AD, were found in a cemetery in 2009 near Modena in northern Italy. Due to the poor state of the remains, it was not possible to establish the sex of the couple, despite successive attempts using genetic analysis techniques.

Now, a group of researchers from the University of Bologna who developed a new technique using the protein found in tooth enamel have announced that the skeletons belonged to two men. The study, which is believed to have a profound implications for understanding funeral practices, was published in the journal Scientific Reports.