Gender Transformations in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies

In which chronological, spatial, and social contexts is gender a relevant social category that is noticeable in the archaeological material? How can transformations in social gender relations and identity be recognized archaeologically? Is the identity of prehistoric people defined by gender? If so, what is the accompanying cultural context? What about gender equality among the scientists working in archaeology? In what degree are research teams, as well as their scientific approaches, biased today?These and other burning questions are intensively discussed in this volume, which comprises 25 contributions presented at the international workshop 'Gender Transformations in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies', organised by the Collaborative Research Centre 1266 of Kiel University funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The workshop offered a platform to discuss a broad range of approaches on the inter-dependencies between gender relations and socio-environmental transformation processes.Beyond a focus on the archaeology of women, gender archaeology offers a variety of possibilities to reconstruct the contribution of social groups differentiated e.g. by age, gender, and activities related to cultural transformation, based on the archaeological material. Thus, this volume includes papers dealing with different socio-economic units, from south-western Europe to Central Asia, between 15,000 and 1 BCE, paying particular attention to the scale of social reach. Since gender archaeology, and in particular feminist archaeology, also addresses the issue of scientific objectivity or bias, parts of this volume are dedicated to equal opportunity matters in archaeological academia across the globe. This is realised by bringing together feminist and female experiences from a range of countries, each with its own specific individual, cultural, and social perspectives and traditions.The papers are organised along three central topics: 'Gendering fieldwork', 'Tracing gender transformations', and 'Gendering and shaping the environment'. By gendering the archaeological discussion on transformation processes, the contributions aim to more firmly embed gender-sensitive research in the archaeological agenda, not just in Europe, but world-wide.Contents:Preface of the editorsWiebke Kirleis and Johannes MüllerIntroductionJulia Katharina Koch and Wiebke Kirleis1. Gendering FieldworkMatters of gender in a prominent excavation by the German Archaeological Institute: Fieldwork and gender in the Kerameikos in AthensJutta StroszeckWomen in the field: Preliminary insights from images of archaeology in Portugal in the 1960s and the 1970s. A first essayAna Cristina MartinsGendered and diversified fieldwork classes in prehistoric archaeology? An examination of and a perspective on Bachelor study programs of German universitiesDoris Gutsmiedl-Schümann'Fieldwork is not the proper preserve of a lady': Gendered images of archaeologists from textbooks to social mediaJana Esther Fries2. Tracing gender transformations2.1. In methodologyWhat is gender transformation, where does it take place and why? Reflections from archaeologyMarie Louise Stig SørensenOsteology defines sex and archaeology defines gender? Insights from physical anthropologyJohanna KranzbühlerGender in Linearbandkeramik research: Traditional approaches and new avenuesNils Müller-Scheeßel2.2. In burialsChanging gender perception from the Mesolithic to the beginning of the Middle NeolithicDaniela NordholzMaking the invisible visible: Expressing gender in mortuary practices in north-eastern Hungary in the 5th millennium BCEAlexandra Anders and Emese Gyöngyvér NagyCopper Age transformations in gender identitiesJan TurekGender symbolism in female graves of the Bronze Age evidenced by the materials from the Lisakovsk burial complex of the Andronovo cultural horizonEmma R. Usmanova and Marina K. LachkovaMale gender identity during the Ural Bronze Age: On the way down?Natalie BersenevaTransformations in a woman's life in prehistoric and archaic societies of the Scythians and the KalmyksMaria Ochir-GoryaevaTracing gender in funerary data: The case study of elite graves in the North-Alpine complex (Late Bronze Age to La Tène B)Caroline Tremeaud2.3. In cultural landscapesSocial manipulation of gender identities in Early Iron Age Latium Vetus (Italy)Ilona VenderbosTime- and space-related genders and changing social roles: A case study from Archaic southern ItalyChristian Heitz2.4. In ritual and art'Shaman' burials in prehistoric Europe: Gendered images?Nataliia MykhailovaPart-time females and full-time specialists? Identifying gender roles in ritual behaviour and archaeological remainsAndy ReymannBeyond gender: Approaches to anthropomorphic imagery in prehistoric central AnatoliaAysel ArslanArt and gender: The case study of enamelling in continental Europe (4th-3rd century BCE)Virginie Defente3. Gendering and shaping the environmentGender and the environmentJulia K. Koch and Oliver NakoinzThe gender division of labour during the proto-Elamite period in late 4th millennium IranRouhollah Yousefi Zoshk, Saeed Baghizadeh and Donya EtemadifarLabour organisation between horticulture and agriculture: Two separate worlds?Wiebke KirleisChange and continuity: Gender and flint knapping activities during the Neolithic in the Paris basinAnne AugereauThe construction of space and gender in prehistory: An approach to the Chalcolithic walled enclosures of Iberia?Ana M. Vale