Definition: Feminist archaeology is that branch of theoretical archaeology which places women at the center of the investigations, by using gender theory as a background to discuss evidence, associations, and frameworks from a feminist persepective. The study is not simply a reaction to male-centered archaeology, but it surely got its start there. Archaeologists leading feminist archaeology include Janet Spector, Ruth Tringham, Meg Conkey, and Joan Gero, to name just a few.
Sources (a few)
Gero, Joan M.1991 Genderlithics: Women's roles in stone tool production. In Engendering Archaeology: Women and Prehistory. Joan M. Gero and Margaret W. Conkey, eds. Pp. 163-193. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Spencer-Wood, Suzanne M. 2006 A feminist theoretical approach to the historical archaeology of utopian communities. Historical Archaeology 40(1):152-185.
Walter, Lynn 1995 Feminist anthropology? Gender and Society 9(3):272-288.
Wilkie, Laurie A. and Katherine H. Hayes 2006 Engendered and Feminist Archaeologies of the Recent and Documented Pasts. Journal of Archaeological Research 14(3):243-264.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
