On Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:26:59 -0700, Marilyn Harris  
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi;
>
> I wonder about the activity levels of the women during paleolithic times  
> - did they also hunt or did they forage only (for fruits/seeds/roots  
> etc.)? Their high-intensity activity levels would have been considerably  
> less than that of the men, in that case. Were they equally as healthy?

Yes they did participate in hunting, especially "roundups" where a lot of  
people
were needed.  And they walked long distances and brought back large  
amounts of
gathered food to the camp.  They were probably carrying infants on these  
excursions.
And to our knowledge both sexes danced when they were "resting".  Judging  
by modern
hunter-gatherers, when camp was moved it was women who carried everything,  
including
the children.  Women had to maintain good health to sustain the demands of  
pregnancy and long
lactations.

So, women didn't just loll around the campfire eating berries (bon-bons  
weren't invented yet).

	Lynnet