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This paper discusses the scientific construction of sex and gender in a multidisciplinary setting. Prehistoric concepts and corporealities of sex and gender receive increasing attention in both archaeology and anthropology. Burials are a major object of inquiry. Sex / gender assignment is based on artefacts, morphology, and lately, ancient DNA. While I follow the development of methods and communications, the focus is on cases where results diverge. I will point to the paradoxical impulses recently coming from molecular biology and genetics. Specifically, ancient DNA has not brought the unambiguous, durable knowledge on sex that part of the community had hoped for. I conclude that from a history of science perspective, cross-disciplinary communication and a mix of methods from various backgrounds have rendered the scientific discussion of gender and sex more versatile. Especially archaeologists have been inspired to rethink their traditional methods and concepts. As anti-genderism rules in the media, the challenge is to make cooperations between arts and sciences and to communicate our new views on the diversity and ambiguity of gender in history convincingly to a broader public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]