<p>For decades, archaeological work on the Swahili civilization has concentrated mainly on the exploration of economic and political dynamics. This work moves further and explores how gender roles were formed, maintained, negotiated, and renegotiated through time and space in Gede city. The study employed several methods of data collection, namely, archival research, survey, the re-examination of collected materials, and the excavation of the Gede archaeological site. Since this study aimed to examine gender roles across different social classes, the areas excavated were roughly categorized as belonging to elite, middle-class, and lower-class structures. Key findings show that gender identities differed considerably across classes at the Gede archaeological site. This differentiation corresponded with the commercialization of Gede households, especially in “elite” areas where the high class hosted international traders. Conversely, in middle-class houses, women concentrated on running light industries aimed at supplying goods to the urban community. Thus, women were able to afford exotic goods as were their elite counterparts. Finally, the gender roles of the lower class entailed subsistence-gendered roles with little participation in Gede formal commerce. Interestingly, gender roles in Gede were dynamic in nature and responded to cultural diffusion, the spread of Islam, the intensification of trade, the diversification of subsistence patterns, and urbanization. Therefore, these findings demonstrate the centrality of gender in the reconstruction of social lives during the Swahili civilization.</p>