Some of the very best medieval artists were women

According to radiocarbon dating, the woman had lived between 997 and 1162AD and was between 45-60 years old when she died. According to the authors, the woman was average in almost every aspect - except for what was stuck to her teeth. When the researchers dissolved samples of her dental calculus, they couldn't believe their eyes. Hundreds of tiny blue particles became visible.

It took some major scientific sleuthing to work out what the particles were made of. Eventually, the scientists realised they were dealing with lapis lazuli, a rare and valuable pigment, that originated from a mountain in Afghanistan. The lapis would be ground into a powder and mixed to make ultramarine - a vivid blue, so expensive that artists like Michelangelo weren't able to afford it. It was used in Medieval Europe to decorate only the most valuable religious manuscripts.

The researchers say that only scribes and painters of exceptional skill would have been entrusted with the use of this highly prized pigment. The discovery indicates that women were playing a far more significant role in the writing and illustration of manuscripts at this time than has previously been recognised.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46783610