New Research Suggests That Prehistoric Women Were Just As Involved In Hunting As Men, Dispelling The Long-Held Belief That Women Were Only Gatherers
From a young age, you were probably taught in school that men took up hunting while women were given the chore of gathering during prehistoric times.
And for decades, scientists were convinced that this was the case—early humans living in foraging societies had a clear division of labor.
However, new research has shattered the long-held belief that only men were hunters and women were strictly gatherers. It turns out that women were just as involved with hunting as men were.
For one, there were just not enough people around to assign specific tasks to certain genders. Whenever something needed to be done, someone would do it, no matter the nature of the task.
According to the American Anthropological Association, females are better equipped for endurance activities, such as running.
Men may come out on top when it comes to strength and speed, but women have more staying power, which is crucial for chasing down animals.
The higher levels of estrogen and adiponectin found in the female body helps delay fatigue by burning fat and glucose, which are key fuels during endurance activities. Adiponectin also protects muscles from breaking down.
Furthermore, women have wider hips, allowing them to take wider strides. Their larger steps helped them travel longer distances faster while expending the least amount of energy possible. Overall, prehistoric women’s physiology provided them with the ability to hunt more efficiently and give chase for longer.
Even if the findings of the new study aren’t taken into consideration, other evidence points to women being hunters.
Andrey Kiselev – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Many fossil bones from female skeletons show that women suffered from the same injuries as men from their community and time period did. The injuries were caused by large animals that bit and kicked them as they fought to escape.
The implications of the results from the new study are huge, completely shifting our views of gender roles in both the past and present.
The researchers who conducted the analysis are pushing for previous archaeological studies to be reevaluated, as some experts were reluctant to acknowledge that hunting tools had been buried with women.
It also calls into question the popular narratives in modern society that deem men as “breadwinners” and women as caretakers, both of which can be harmful ideas.
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