Always the Same Old Stories? The Representation of Prehistoric Women and Men in Scientific Communication, Popular Culture and the Media

During the past 30 years, archaeological gender studies have been changing the androcentric image of prehistory, creating awareness for the diversity of gender concepts and questioning the image of archaeologists. But did gender studies also influence the public’s perceptions of the past in general? This paper discusses the visual depiction of prehistoric genders in museum displays, newspaper articles, school textbooks, video games, etc. The aim of this contribution is to initiate a debate about what effect the images used in popular media have had on contemporary gender discourses and whether we as professionals want to, and are able to, have any influence on them.