From Theory to Praxis: Why Gender Matters to Archaeology (and the Other Way Around)

The relevance of feminist and gender approaches in archaeology can be gauged in different ways, and evidence suggests that the impact of those approaches in the epistemological transformation of the discipline has been very significant. The commitment of the practitioners of feminist and gender archaeology to standpoint theory has been paramount in the construction of a ‘strong objectivity’ stance within the discipline, but there are reasons to believe that gendered issues can still fuel further disciplinary developments. The engagement with new material feminisms in particular holds a tremendous potential for the affirmation of archaeology within the social sciences and for raising its social and political profile.