Women in the Paleolithic Era

After reading the first two chapters of our textbook, I found myself thinking that I had traveled far and felt transported to another time. In some ways, I found the people in the Paleolithic era more socially advanced than those who came after and destroyed them to establish the First Civilizations. As a woman and someone who believes in equality between men and women, I was pleasantly surprised to read that in the Paleolithic era such equality existed (such as what Richard Lee called “relative equality between the sexes with no-one having the upper hand.” (Strayer & Nelson, 21) When I read that women in those days were thought of innovators, Goddesses, and creators (giving birth), I thought that finally someone had it right! Even though the First Civilizations brought agriculture, writing, and farming, and moved humankind forward, it also moved women backward to a place of inequality. Our place of equality was quickly absorbed by men who thought our place was in the home cooking and taking care of the children. Men had the freedom to sleep with their servants and as many women as they wanted, but women were only allowed to sleep with one man. In some communities, men even felt like victims when they raped their daughters and wives. (Strayer & Nelson, 74)

I used to think that human beings have not been able to co-exist since the beginning of time (most likely because of the people of the First Civilizations), but the people of the Paleolithic era proved me wrong. Those who lived in the Paleolithic era formed bands of no more than 50 people. Their lives were interconnected and they had to work together, not against each other, in order to survive. This differs from the people of the First Civilizations, who grew in large numbers because they became agricultural people and learned how to farm the land and domesticate animals. These people developed a hierarchical system and the division of class and changed how people saw and treated each other. They brought slavery, warfare, inequality between men and women, as well as the destruction of earlier people and groups.

The story of Ishi upset me because 1911 was not that long ago. As I read the story, I kept thinking to myself, what is it about human beings that makes us want to impose our ideas, beliefs, traditions, and religion onto others? What is it about differences that makes some people want everyone to be like them? Perhaps I think in simple terms and live in a dream, but all I hope for is that one day we can all accept who we are and where we come from.