Exam 2 Flashcards
hoe agriculture (horticulture)
-gender role diversity
-labor limited: labor is highly valued
how is gender viewed in horticultural society?
women are valued for their contribution, bride price was paid by groom to compensate family for loss of her work
plough agriculture
-plough + draft animals= more crop yield
-land-limited economy
how is gender viewed in plough agriculture?
women become less involved b/c they have to process grain and it is harder to do heavy work when raising a child, women become economic liabilities
how does infant care shift after farming?
hand feeding infants milk or grain allowed more freedom, breast-feeding less so there is no lactational amenorrhea
Neolithic effect on weaning and birth spacing
rapid increase with deity shift to grains and permanent sedentism
why are women fertile if diet is bad?
carbs aka grain provide empty calories for female hormone production
Importance of Catalhoyuk site
female figurines were discovered here, peaceful and equal in terms of gender in society
why is Marija Gimbutas so important in archaeology/women’s studies?
Her theory on Old Europe were first to suggest large civilizations were peaceful and egalitarian, essentially people were doing art, dancing, celebrating and artistic expression is woven into spiritual beliefs
examples of “Old Europe”
Cucuteni-Trypillia culture and Stracevo culture
who is link to the downfall of peaceful goddess societies according to Gimbutas?
overrun by Russian invaders called the Kurgans
Minoan civilization
Middle Bronze Age, 3100-1100 BC
Defined by bulls, goddesses, double-axes, mountain top shrine, and animals, trade links with mainland, Egypt and Near East
what do scholars think palatial palaces are for?
communal spaces or shortage spaces
what do palatial palaces tell us about gender?
-developed from joining together matrilineal clans
-murals/seals show women in central public position
-clay figurines focus on women’s health
-social fluidity could extend into gender fluidity
what are labrys? why are they only shown with females?
double axes, could symbolized divinity?
what are peak sanctuaries?
widespread open-air sanctuaries found high in mountains that have animal clay figurines
Example: Petsofas: hundreds of anatomical votive offerings, many are weasels
why were weasels made as votive offerings?
weasel are connected to midwife goddesses and oxytocic “quick birth” substance when women takes liquid that flows from the uterus of a weasel
what other animals are associated with midwifery at peak sanctuaries?
tortoises: associated with fertility, used in Hippocratic Corpus to stimulate postpartum lochia discharge
dogs and puppies: dog milk used to expel fetus, dog milk and placenta facilitate childbirth
what 2 animals were used often to stimulate lactation?
puppies and piglets
Who is Eileithyia?
pre-Hellenic goddess of childbirth who hindered or facilitated birth process according to her mood, worshipped during Neolithic to Roman times
What is the snake goddess in Crete likely linked to?
Midwifery and mother goddess
Medicines associated with midwifery
dittany: herbal drug
opium poppy: connected to cultic activities, poppy goddess as well
saffron: relieve menstruation issues and pain, “sunshine herb”
Linear B tablets on women
majority of servile low-status women documented 750/900 were listed as slave women
Kourotrophos
means “child nurturer,” figurines depicted nursing on left breast, emphasis on women’s roles in domestic sphere
what was the role of upper class Greek women?
reproducers of wealth by maintaining home and slaves b/c they had no political rights and controlled by men at every stage of their lives
gynaeceum
portion of house reserved for women, usually innermost part of building
andron
portion of house for men
gynaikonomoi
guardians of women created through the Laws of Draco (621 BC) justifying need for guardianship due to supposed weakness of female gender
Plato’s idea of women
women could become more equal to men if they received appropriate training, did not believe they were equal at birth
Aristotle’s idea of women
women were colder blood, “could not control themselves physically or psychologically through exercise of reason the way men can”
Pandora
credited with creating all other women who are evil and conspirers of troublesome deeds
Hesiod
“original woman hater”
women are inferior and a problem for men, Zeus made women as a punishment
Reflections of Erotic Desire in Archaic and Classical Greece
sexual desire (Eros) functions as social constructor and reinforcer
Herma (Herm)
stone blocks or sculptures with bearded head and erect penis
Pederasty
“active role” associated with masculinity or social status
duty of adult man to court a young boy he saw attractive
Sappho
well known source for lesbianism, lived on island of lesbos, earliest female writer in western history
Most common cure for illness is ancient Greece
intercourse with a man or getting pregnant
Hippocratics view of menstruation
women bled so much b/c they had less energy than men, only suppose to last 3 days, treatment always to have sex with a man
Hysteria
female nature was to be weak and ruled by sexually crazed beast that laid deep inside, illness associated with uterus
wandering womb
womb wandered to find moisture from other organs, if it didn’t than it could ruse up and suffocate her, have sex with man to cure
Agnodice
first woman doctor, disguise herself as man to get trained and than practiced
obstetrix
women who trained with male physicians for women’s health
what were women responsible for in terms of religion?
birth and death rites sine priests/priestesses could not enter house with some who was deceased
prothesis
washing and laying out of the body, body dressed and placed on a high bed, FIRST close eyes and mouth
ekphora
funeral procession, took corpse through the streets right before dawn
deposition
burying of the remains either through inhumation and cremation
phormiskos
a globular jug that held oil used to anoint corpse
what 3 festivals were for women only?
Thesmophoria, Sikra, Haloa
festival of Argive
both men and women attended, shared feasting and sacrifice
kanephoroi
12-16 year olds female virgins who lead processions for sacrifices, men were scarificers and would cut hair off for butcher animal as offering
pharmakos
elected ugliest inhabitant to be sacrificed usually during time of famine or plague to get rid of imperfections or flaws, obsessed with purity culture
Skira festival
protest power of men in Athens, in honor of Athena and Demeter, eat garlic together to be sexual abstinence
Thesmophoria festival
3 day festival in honor of Demeter, met near men’s assembly where boule met, reversal of roles men played on council
rituals of Thesmophoria
Day 1: Ascent
Day 2: The Fast- made jokes and refused to eat, broke this by drinking alcoholic barley drink called kykeon
Day 3: Fair Offspring (Kalligeneia)
Hiereiai
priestesses were inherited purchased, or won by election, served as role models
benefits of priestess
not being taxed, bodyguards, reserved front row seats, legal benefits that women rarely had
Oracle of Delphi
Pythia most importance priestess who could predict future
Festival of Aphrodosia
celebrated by women across all social status, patron goddess of ancient Greek sex workers
Sex work in ancient Athens
prostitution was allowed and legal as long as not a citizen
moicheia
adultery, was a crime, restricted to illicit sex with free women, men were allowed to legally have sex with prostitutes and slaves
Pornai
property of pimp, lowest class of prostitution
Heterai
higher class of prostitutes, only permitted women to feast with men at Symposium
Phryne
ancient hetaria who was model for Aphrodite of Knidos
kylixes
drinking vessels with symposium scenes
Lysistrata
comedy by Aristophanes depicting women striking against men in war
