Gender Divergence and Convergence in Portuguese Archaeology

The growing importance of gender studies has led to an increased interest in the presence of women in the field of archaeology, the history of archaeology and the sociology of archaeology, both globally and in different national contexts. The historical and sociological approach to this theme is essentially based on the binary sexual distribution between male and female archaeologists. This does not exclude the necessary and unavoidable attention that all issues within the scope of gender ideology currently deserve. In recent decades, the number of professional archaeologists has increased greatly in Portugal. This group also experienced several changes in structure, constitution and social balance, changes that are closely related to the sociological development of Portugal and its path towards development and social parity. We address the evolution of women dedicated to the practice of archaeology in Portugal throughout the twentieth century and up to the present day, namely their number, identity, academic background, age distribution, geographical origin and form of activity (from amateur to professional).