In a message dated 6/8/00 3:49:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
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>  I have not,
>  however, heard much about the roles of men and women in prehistoric time.
>  Were they separate but equal?  Men dominant and women submissive?  Or all
>  just in it together?

The book "The Sacred Hoop" by Paula Gunn Allen comes to mind.  If I'm
remembering correctly (it's been years since I read it, but it had a huge
impact on my thinking), in her analysis of some tribal cultures (not all),
she explained that while there was a sexual division of labor, in many tribal
cultures the women's role was of as high or higher status than men's.  Or,
"separate but equal."

The Sacred Hoop is a tough read, and may not apply strictly to
hunter/gatherer societies, but I liked how she outlined the gender roles and
how the differentiation was not necessarily one of one group having more
power than the other.  It gave me a new way to think about the types of
social arrangements we're discussing with regard to Paleo-culture.

Kim
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