WOMEN IN PREHISTORY

It is hard enough to try to piece together any of human prehistory but women suffer the usual extra fate of being particularly invisible or being always relegated to domestic and insignificant roles. Here, Margaret Ehrenberg attempts to make women visible without succumbing to false beliefs in matriarchies and female dominance. This is only a fairly brief look at possibilities over the immense timespan from the paleolithic to the bronze and iron ages but it is an interesting contribution. The changing role of women in economic production and its relation to women's status is a main theme but is not a straightforward connection. As Ehrenberg says, much new information from improved investigative technology (such as sexing of skeletons) and new thinking is needed. Whatever data we do have, though, certainly needs to be treated with caution as our views are naturally colored by our own cultures, experiences and expectations. The author provides a number of examples of archeological finds and some alternative interpretations and insights plus relevant information from present-day hunter-gatherers. A very good read.

As an anthropology major, I really loved this book. It was interesting and easy to read, as well as written by an archaeologist who presented an unbiased report of Women in Prehistory. I would definitely buy this book for people interested in Pre-History or Women's history.