Gender Archaeology

This overview of gender archaeology has two foci; one historiographic and the other the major research questions. The history of gender archaeology from its early beginning, gradual development, and ‘where we are now’ is outlined, and the impetuses arising from both professional equity issues and the wish to interpret gender as part of past societies are pointed out. The epistemological and political questions involved are explained, including debates about whether women’s intellectual voices had to be distinct. The main areas of gender research are presented, including the strong body-focused research tradition, and the concern with how we move beyond the limitations of understanding gender through the sexed body. Research on appearance and on mobility is presented as ways of moving beyond these limits, and a section discussing intersectionality brings the argument up to the present as this brings gender into conversation with other forms of identity.