The Bottom Line
A good text, both as an introduction to the Natufian, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, and as introduction to human skeletal studies and the effects of labor.
Pros
- Good temporal summary
- Interesting premise
Cons
- A little technical for general public
Description
- Jane Peterson. 2002. Sexual Revolutions: Gender and labor at the dawn of agriculture. Altamira Press
- Provides an introduction to the history from before, during, and after the Agricultural Revolution
- Examines skeletons in various time periods during the development of agriculture in the Levant
- Makes inferences involving the kinds of activities which affect human bones
- Using those inferences discusses how labor roles change when people start raising crops and herding
Guide Review - Sexual Revolutions: A Book Review
Jane Peterson's little book could serve as an introduction to several important areas of study in today's archaeology. The investigations of change over time, the role of women and men in different societies and how those roles change with technological innovation, the study of the impact of different activities on human bones, and ... most importantly, the way archaeology should work, by bringing together of different pieces of the puzzle to try to understand the process. And, like much of archaeology, most of human culture of course, different circumstances occur in different places.
