Warriors and maidens fair: discourses of gender and children’s roles in prehistoric warfare, conflict & violence

[摘要] This paper focuses on demonstrating that a particular picture of prehistoric conflict archaeology has been presented within the majority of narratives. The discourses of prehistoric conflict archaeology are examined and the issues of gender and children’s roles within prehistoric warfare, conflict and violence are highlighted. Males are often presented as the only active participants within prehistoric warfare, conflict and violence. Females and children are often relegated to passive, inactive roles in the background. These prescribed roles are rarely supported by evidence. Three case studies and their associated narratives are investigated in detail. Ofnet Cave in Bavaria, Germany; Crow Creek in South Dakota, USA; and Riviere aux Vase in Michigan, USA are deconstructed to extract the raw archaeological data each site provides. The narratives developed using the sites are then compared with the raw data to establish to what extent these narratives are based on evidence and to what extent they are based on assumption and bias. It is concluded that many archaeological narratives of prehistoric conflict are largely based on assumption and bias rather than on evidence. New methods of excavation, analysis and interpretation are then discussed which will provide a more realistic view of gender and children’s roles in prehistoric conflict.

[发布机构] University:University of Birmingham;Department:School of History and Cultures, Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology (CAHA)

[关键词] C Auxiliary Sciences of History;CC Archaeology