Whatever the headdress communicated about her identity and role, that communication was intended to continue into death.

The Question Of Shaman

The interpretation of the Ice Maiden as a shaman — or shamanic specialist of some kind — is the interpretation that has generated the most popular interest and the most scholarly debate.

It deserves careful examination because it illustrates the specific challenges of interpreting ancient social roles from material evidence.

Shamanism, as a category of religious specialization, is associated in Siberian and Central Asian contexts with specific practices: spiritual journeys to other worlds, communication with spirits, healing, divination, and various forms of mediation between the human community and the non-human world.

Shamans in these cultures typically have distinctive material markers — specific kinds of clothing or equipment associated with their role, characteristic objects used in their practice, and sometimes specific burial contexts that distinguish them from ordinary community members.