They are consistent with that interpretation, and several specialists have argued for it.

But they are also consistent with other interpretations — an elite woman of high social rank whose burial reflected her family’s wealth and position, without necessarily implying a specialized ritual role.

The honest answer is that the evidence does not allow us to determine with confidence what the Ice Maiden’s specific social role was.

We know she had status.

We do not know its precise nature.

The Medical Evidence: What Her Body Revealed