GabyScientists have debunked the myth that in prehistoric times men were hunters while women were gatherers. A study led by Sarah Lacy, professor of anthropology at the University of Delaware (USA), revealed that women were physically equipped for hunting and actively participated in it.
Research Objective
Professor Lacy’s team, which focuses on the health of ancient peoples, collaborated with Cara Ocobock from the University of Notre Dame (USA). Their work connects modern physiological knowledge with fossil evidence about prehistoric humans.
The researchers set out to understand why the idea that “cavemen hunted while women gathered” remains so deeply ingrained in modern consciousness—despite growing evidence to the contrary.
They focused on the Paleolithic era, spanning from around 2.5 million BCE to 10,000 BCE. The team found little evidence to suggest that social roles during that time were rigidly defined by sex.
Gender Equality
Analysis of ancient tools, artwork, burial sites, food remnants, and prehistoric human anatomy painted a striking picture of gender equality.
In the past, archaeologists would find artifacts and automatically assign them a gendered association. However, as Sarah Lacy noted, “We can’t confidently say, ‘Oh, these flint weapons were strictly male weapons.’” After all, these tools carry no signatures identifying the sex of their owners.
As Lacy explained, “Based on the available data, there are almost no sex-based distinctions in roles.”
Physiological Capabilities
One key question was whether there were any physiological barriers preventing women from hunting.
While men tended to have advantages in speed and strength-based tasks like sprinting and throwing, women outperformed in endurance activities, such as long-distance running. Both skill sets were essential for hunting, according to earth.com.
Social Roles
“When we look more closely at human anatomy and modern physiology, and then examine the skeletal remains of ancient people, we see no significant differences in the types of injuries between men and women—suggesting they engaged in the same activities,” said Professor Lacy.
During the Paleolithic era, most people lived in small groups. Lacy argued it would make little sense for only part of a group to be responsible for hunting.
In her view, living in a small society requires a high degree of flexibility. Everyone needed to be ready to perform any task at any time. “That seems obvious,” she said.
Outdated Theory
The lead author recalled the 1968 publication *Man the Hunter* by anthropologists Richard B. Lee and Irven DeVore. In emphasizing the role of hunting in human evolution and assuming all hunters were male, the authors unintentionally reflected a gender bias in their work.
This outdated “man the hunter” theory has persisted for decades. But Professor Lacy hopes that the new research will highlight the equal contributions of both sexes to their communities.
Deep Roots of Equality
The team noted that in the 1970s–1990s, some female scholars published works challenging the traditional view—but were often dismissed as feminist activists. Much of this occurred before advances in genetics and physiology supported their claims.
According to Sarah Lacy, for over three million years, both men and women have been responsible for sustaining their communities—including regularly hunting to provide meat for their groups.
Men and women held equal standing in many areas of life for millions of years, Lacy concluded.
The study was published in the journal *American Anthropologist*.
