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Ancient American Women

Decent Essays

The definition of “Feminism” is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men, or in other words, “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people too,” (Cheris Kramarae).Women have gone through periods of worship, to periods of worthlessness, to somewhere in between. Women, a vital component to humanity, are starting to be valued again.
Women have often been overlooked in the story of prehistory and evolution, although “at no point in prehistory did women... rely on their hunting males for food” (Miles). The myth that men provided entirely for their tribe is grossly overstated. Evidence reveals that although males were the hunters of the tribe they were only providing about twenty percent of the food necessary for the group's survival. The other eighty percent was gathered and picked by women. Since a hunt couldn't take place often, and meat could not be stored in hot climates, it was women who invariably worked throughout the day to feed their families; which leads to the conclusion that men were only …show more content…

Figurines, jugs, and statues of women were sure to illustrate the women's fertility, and ability to breastfeed. The art highlighted the natural image of a female body; plump, healthy, with large breasts. This artwork displayed an appropriate maternal figure. Shrines and temples were built in tribute to female deities. In most artwork, Goddesses were posed birthing, providing nourishment, or pregnant; showing that women were honored for their life giving abilities. The imaging of Goddesses was extremely prominent. Even symbols of nature possessed a female essence. Since nature expressed awe, beauty, and wonder it gave females a positive image. In fact, there was a conspicuous absence of warfare and maledomintion centered artwork during this Paleolithic. Never were women illustrated as anything less than valued members of

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