Convenors:
Teresita Majewski, Statistical Research Inc, USA
Sandra Lorena López Varela, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Papers:
Women as Catalysts of Cultural Exchange and Trade in Ancient Indian Societies
Early Arya, Independent Researcher, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India
This paper examines the evolving understanding of women’s roles in ancient Indian civilisations, emphasising how recent archaeological discoveries have challenged traditional historical narratives. Historically, women were often viewed as confined to domestic roles, such as motherhood and caregiving, with limited public influence. However, new findings, including texts, artefacts, and iconography, reveal that women actively contributed to political, economic, and cultural spheres. They played significant roles in trade networks, cultural exchange, and the development of shared heritage.
By adopting interdisciplinary approaches like gender studies and intersectionality, this research explores how factors such as class, ethnicity, and geography shaped women’s experiences and agency. It highlights their active participation in shaping ancient societies through contributions to trade, cultural innovation, and social development. Additionally, the reinterpretation of material culture uncovers women’s influence in religious, political, and social contexts.
This shift in perspective challenges patriarchal narratives and emphasises the complexity and diversity of women’s roles throughout history. It underscores the importance of viewing ancient Indian civilisation through a more inclusive lens, offering a deeper understanding of its interconnected cultural and economic frameworks. Ultimately, this paper enriches our understanding of ancient societies by acknowledging women’s integral contributions to their development.
Poverty and Gender: Intersectional Social Identities in Ancient Egypt from the 3rd to the 2nd Millennium BCE
Hossam Hegazi, Inspector of Antiquities, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Cairo, Egypt
This research investigates the interplay between poverty and gender in ancient Egypt, focusing on how social identities of the impoverished were shaped by various intersecting factors such as gender, social class, ethnicity, and physical condition. Covering the period from the 3rd to the 2nd millennium BCE, the study employs an intersectional methodology to explore these interactions and their effects on individual and collective identities within ancient Egyptian society.
The aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of how poverty and gender intersected in ancient Egypt, contributing to academic discussions on how social identities of the poor were influenced by multiple factors. This includes an examination of cultural and social representations of poverty and gender through ancient Egyptian texts, such as “The Teachings of Dua Kheti,” as well as artistic depictions of the poor and marginalised in Egyptian art. The study will analyse how poor men and women were portrayed, the variations in their social roles, and the impact of social class and age on these representations.
Tangible Grief: Reflections on a Woman’s Meaning Making After an Infant Loss at Thaba Nkulu, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Keneiloe Molopyane and Alex Schoeman, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Amongst farming communities in pre-colonial South Africa in which women’s identities were entwined with motherhood, the loss of an infant and perinatal loss of a wanted pregnancy was probably experienced as profoundly personal. Given that child and infant burials were relatively common in South African farming community contexts, comprising almost half of all published Iron Age burials, it is unlikely that such losses were rare. Mortuary practices can provide insights into how women dealt with the resulting grief. Research on archaeological infant burials in South Africa, however, has primarily focused on broader societal issues, such as managing societal ritual danger and fertility, rather than exploring these as individual women’s experiences. We revisit South African archaeological infant burials, starting with the analysis of a burial jar and the skeletal remains of an infant contained within it, excavated from the domestic area of a homestead in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, which was occupied between 982 and 1220 AD. We compare this burial with the other eleven credible published examples and suggest that they were enmeshed in meaning-making, managing the impact the loss of an infant might have had on women’s well-being and identities, and helping shape women’s roles as potential mothers.
The Status of Women in the Post-Sangam Age
Prity Rawat, Independent Researcher Banaras Hindu University, India
The position of women in a given society can serve as a barometer of its progress and values. The roles played by women are shaped by a myriad of factors, and understanding these dynamics provides valuable insights into the cultural, social, and economic fabric of any civilisation. This paper aims to shed light on the status of women during the Post-Sangam age through the literary evidences. The status of women in the post-Sangam age (2nd to 6th centuries CE) reflects a complex interplay of cultural, social, and political dynamics that shaped their roles and identities within society. This period, marked by the flourishing of Tamil literature and the emergence of dynasties like the Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras, offers valuable insights into the socio-economic and cultural fabric of South India. The literary epics of this time, such as Silappadikaram and Manimekalai, provide rich narratives centred around women protagonists, highlighting themes of love, devotion, justice, and morality. These works not only illustrate the moral and ethical values of the era but also serve as a lens to understand the diverse roles women played in society, from seeking justice to embracing spiritual paths.
60 Years on: The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Interpreting the Gendered Division of Labour in Archaeology
Jane Balme, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia
Sue O’Connor, Dept of Archaeology and Natural History, Australian National University
The influence of anthropological studies in the Man the Hunter conference of 1966 on interpreting the archaeological record, especially the gendered division of labour in past subsistence, continues to prevail. Almost 60 years later these views still pervade public perceptions of the role of men, women and children in hunter gatherer societies and influence scientific interpretations of the prehistoric record. Case studies based on Indigenous knowledge from throughout Australasia have shown that many of these anthropological studies based on a few societies in Africa and high latitudes are not universally applicable, nor do they consider the frequent use of dogs by women as a living technology to increase their hunting success. We need to have a more open mind about inferring gender roles in subsistence from archaeozoological remains.
Gender and Domestic Space in New Spain: Analysing the Late Colonial Home of Mariano Timoteo Escandón y Llera through his Will
Sandra Salgado Jardines, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Sandra L. López Varela, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
This paper explores gender dynamics in the late Viceroyalty of New Spain through the 1814 will of Mariano Timoteo Escandón y Llera, the third Count of Sierra Gorda, who resided in present-day Morelia, Mexico. This document provides a detailed transcription of the property where Don Mariano lived from 1775 to 1814, including the objects contained within it. By contextualising the historical events in New Spain that influenced the spatial distribution of material culture in elite households, this paper offers valuable insights into gender relations during the late colonial period. These events reshaped elite residences into single-family homes, establishing new spatial hierarchies that reinforced class, race, and gender distinctions.
This paper analyses the introduction of the ‘estrado’ (sitting room) in the early 19th century. A space traditionally reserved for women was transformed into a venue for intellectual exchange, marking a significant shift in gender roles within the domestic sphere. The analysis underscores the importance of studying colonial wills to understand how domestic space served as an epistemic regime, actively shaping and redefining gender systems. It also highlights the evolving role of women in the social and intellectual fabric of New Spain.
Women are Leading the Way: Implications of Applying Heart-Centred Practices in Tribal Consultation and Outreach
Teresita Majewski, Statistical Research, Inc., USA
In over 30 years of working as a cultural resource (heritage) management consultant in the American Southwest and Southern California, I have had the opportunity to work for government and private clients to support Tribal consultation and outreach efforts regarding archaeological sites, natural resources, landscapes, sacred places, and the Ancestors. The U.S. laws and regulations that undergird consultation provide a framework grounded in science and objectivity. However, more and more frequently, heart-centred, community-based approaches are being used that are providing a ‘new space’ for thinking through an integrated, responsible archaeology that emphasises the role of rigour in how work and research is conducted. This paper explores how the efforts of women (archaeologists, ethnographers, Tribal preservation specialists, Tribal elders, and other ‘knowledge keepers’) are filling in the ‘new space’ with interactions and interpretation grounded in consistency, trust, respect, and creativity. I share not only ‘success stories’ but highlight the challenges and barriers faced when working with clients having varied, often static and inflexible, perspectives on consultation and outreach approaches and implementation. I conclude that progress is tangible but incremental.
Breaking Barriers: Dr Asma Ibrahim and the Gendered Landscape of Archaeology in Pakistan
Touseef and Muhammad Nishat Hussain, Institute of Global and Historical Studies, Lahore, Pakistan
Despite decades of feminist critique, archaeology remains constrained by systemic gender biases, limiting women’s participation in fieldwork, research, and leadership. Dr Asma Ibrahim’s career offers insight into the structural barriers women face and the strategies to overcome them. This paper examines Pakistan’s gendered archaeological landscape through Dr Ibrahim’s experiences—from early career exclusions in fieldwork to leadership in museum curation and heritage management. Drawing on newspaper reports and an interview with her, this study situates her trajectory within broader debates on gendered labour, institutional resistance, and societal expectations for women in archaeology. It also highlights the often-overlooked contributions of local and Indigenous women in Pakistan’s heritage sector, whose work remains undocumented in mainstream discourse. This paper engages with feminist and postcolonial critiques to challenge narratives that marginalise women’s roles in knowledge production and heritage management. It calls for a re-evaluation of power structures in archaeology and advocates for inclusive policies that recognise and amplify the contributions of women both professional archaeologists and community knowledge-bearers who are shaping the discipline in South Asia and beyond.