Contributed by Samantha Hixson
Follow these links to read some awesome stories of how women are helping unlock the secrets of the archaeological record.
Elite ‘Dynasty’ at Chaco Canyon Got It’s Power From One Woman, DNA Shows
Once again DNA analysis of sites is opening up our understanding of how societies operated historically. By testing bone samples from Room 33 in Pueblo Bonito of Chaco Canyon, scientists were able to shed more light on the inner workings of power, class, wealth and status of ancestral Puebloans, and the major role women played within these.
New Discoveries from Cahokia’s ‘Beaded Burial’ May Rewrite Story of Ancient American City
Mound 72 of the Cahokia culture complex, when originally excavated in 1967, was thought to be a shining example of a burial of elite male warriors. Fast forward almost 50 years and imagine archaeologist’s surprise when one third of the skeletons found were in fact female! These findings call into question the idea that Cahokia was a male warrior-led patriarchy.
Grave of Disabled Young Woman Reveals Touching Tale of Care in Prehistoric Arizona
The excavation of young Hohokam woman’s grave is an example of what the excavators and author call the “Bioarchaeology of care.” The young woman, who lived about 800 years ago had scoliosis, rickets, and tuberculosis. Through looking at this site, archaeologists are able learn more about the community in which the girl lived, and how they supported and cared for her, giving a decidedly human lens to a science that can sometimes become disconnected.
The Peabody 