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To what extent is it possible for archaeologists to establish the differing roles of men and women in the past?
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To what extent is it possible for archaeologists to establish the differing roles of men and women in the past? Gender is a fundamental component of one's social identity. It is comprised of learned behaviours and culturally communicated symbols that "materialise" a set of beliefs about masculinity and femininity - primarily that men and women are different and have different roles and responsibilities in social reproduction and maintenance. Gender systems include: beliefs; activities (gendered division of labour); characteristics of personal appearance (hair length, placement of jewellery, etc); modes of interaction and reaction (violence, crying, etc.); mediate and reflect the identities of and relationships between members of gender categories. The sexual division of labour is often dependent on a woman's reproductive status. For example, it is argued that in most hunting and gathering groups women do not hunt because this activity is incompatible with childbearing and child rearing. In many societies,...
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