Dr. Debra L. Martin
Distinguished Professor Emerita
Department of Anthropology
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Thursday, October 9
5:00pm
Haury 215
Abstract
Archaeological interpretations regarding violence often rely on limited views on the role of women. Women are often portrayed as passive victims-as sacrificial objects, casualties in conflict, captives, or battered partners and co-wives. This pervasive view impacts how we come to understand the roles that women played in the past. Rather than surrendering to the more simplistic portrayals of women, case studies from early pre-state societies are provided that
demonstrate the multifaceted roles that women played in the past. These presentations reimagine the roles of females highlighting the nuance, complexity, and wide range of contexts within which women were recipients and/or perpetrators of violence.