Prehistoric Women In Ancient Society

The customs and gender roles of human society has changed vastly over time. Hence, upon examining past civilization’s rituals and way of life those who look would be able to see the change. Some instances the changes happen gradually and it would seem almost unconsciously. Some of the changed happen in a noticeably accelerated time frame. One of the changes in society that is still researched by scholars today is how did our society become patriarchal? Did this changed in social structure happen by natural means or did the change happen historically? Investigating the information available scholars are able to hypothesize about the past and their social structure. Observing the present condition of our society, it is easy to assume …show more content…
Prehistoric women are shown as physical weaker and having to rely on their male counterpart for survival. This can be shown in many different medians where prehistoric time is discussed or used for entertainment. However according to some scholars those views on the gender role of prehistoric women may not have been the actual reality. A new analysis of the renowned “ Venus” figurines a statue of a prehistoric woman’s body that can be dated between 27,000 to 20,000 years ago shows evidence that women had a higher place within Paleolithic society than was once believed. While most of the speculation around these figures focus mostly on the statue’s exaggerated form, details on the figurine show that the women of that era had already learned and mastered the ability to weave plant fiber into objects that were useful to their community. Likewise, the clothing detail on the “Venus” figurines call into question who actually sculpted the objects. It is more likely that the figurines were sculpted by a women who was also a seamstress. (Document …show more content…
In a story of a young !Kung woman , she openly talks about her way of life. She stated that while she was still a young child, her parents informed her that when a young woman grows up, her parents give her a husband and she continues to grow next to him. In her tale, there is a heavy emphasis on the fact that her parents are aging and that without a husband there would no one to provide the necessities she required to survive. Later in the same story, when it became apparent that her marriage was unsuccessful, the young woman’s father spoke the final word for the family about the status of her marriage. Though that marriage did dissolve, her father held out hope that he could find another man to give his daughter to. (Document