Gender and Violence in Archaeology

Archaeology has long studied violence in the past through a modern and sexist lens. Current debates in gender archaeology are increasingly clarifying on these issues, by both studying the complex entanglements of violence and gender in various prehistoric and historic societies, and raising awareness on gendered violence within the field and ancient source material. This chapter will address the complex entanglements of violence and gender in the past. We argue in favour of not only examining gender and violence through biology, but in specific socio-culturally constructed gender systems. This chapter will tackle methodological problems behind the studies of “warrior women” arguing that the same criticism applies to “warrior men”. In line with the most recent debates, the paper presents cases for archaeological studies of gender as symbolic and structural violence, but also sexual violence, gender as a frame of war and its role in colonial violence.