GabyScientists have debunked the myth that in prehistoric times, men were hunters and women were gatherers. Research conducted by a team led by Sarah Lacy, a professor of anthropology at the University of Delaware (USA), showed that women were physically capable of hunting and participated in it.
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Professor Lacey’s team, which specializes in the health issues of ancient people, collaborated with Kara Okobok from the University of Notre Dame (USA). In her work, she correlates knowledge of modern physiology with information about prehistoric people found in fossils.
Researchers decided to investigate why the theory that “cave men hunted while women gathered” has firmly rooted itself in the minds of modern people. After all, there is plenty of evidence that this is not the case.
Scientists focused on the Paleolithic era, which spanned the period from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 years ago. The team found little evidence that social roles in those distant times were strictly defined by gender.
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An overview of ancient tools, works of art, burials The analysis of food remains and the anatomy of prehistoric humans revealed a striking picture of gender equality.
Previously, scientists would find objects and automatically determine their gender association. However, as Sarah Lacy pointed out, we cannot confidently say, “Oh, these flintlock rifles were purely male weapons.” After all, there is no signature on this weapon that would certify the gender of its owner.
According to the head of the research, “based on the available data, there are almost no gender differences in roles.”
Physiological possibilities
One of the most significant questions was whether there are physiological barriers that prevent women from hunting.
While men had advantages in speed and strength exercises, such as sprinting and throwing, women excelled in endurance activities, like long-distance running. Both sets of skills were crucial for hunting, the site reported. earth.com .
Social roles
“When we take a deeper look at anatomy and modern physiology, and then examine the remains of ancient human skeletons, we will notice no difference in the nature of injuries between men and women, as they engaged in the same activities,” said Professor Lacey.
In the Paleolithic era, most people lived in small groups. For Lacey, it seemed absurd that only part of the group was supposed to hunt.
In her opinion, when you live in such a small community, you need to be very flexible. Everyone must be ready to perform any function at any time. This seems obvious.
Outdated theory
The lead author of the study recalled the publication by anthropologists Richard B. Lee and Irven DeVore titled “Man the Hunter” from 1968. By emphasizing the role of hunting in human evolution and assuming that all hunters were men, these scholars inadvertently wrote their work with gender bias.
This outdated theory about the male hunter has been circulating for decades. However, the professor hopes that new research will demonstrate the equal contribution of both genders to the life of their communities.
R equality with deep roots
The team reported that in the 1970s to 1990s, some female scientists published their work on this topic. However, they were usually accompanied by accusations of feminism. Yet all of this happened before modern studies in genetics and physiology emerged.
According to Sara Lacy, for three million years, both men and women cared for the existence of their communities. In particular, both satisfied their groups’ need for meat by regularly going hunting.
Men and women have held equal status for millions of years in many areas of life, the professor concluded.
The results of the study were published by the journal American Anthropologie.
