Women and Ancient Times

During the course of history, women have had all sorts of things to deal with. This page will cover their treatment and to an extent, rolls during the Prehistoric - Classical times of human existence.

Paleolithic Hunter Gatherer Groups
In Prehistoric communities, women were equal to men. While there may have been fewer rights to be had, sense nobody owned property of land, and no one could vote, they were equally important as men. This was because they helped provide to their group. Their contributions were no less than that of the men. The men went out to hunt, and when they were successful, they brought back meat. The women on the other hand were gatherers, they new the plants of the region, and gathered those that were safe to eat. It is easy to see how women and men were seen as equals, they both provided, so they were both treated as equals.

Neolithic Farming Communities
After the Neolithic Revolution, women would lose much of their status. With the transition to farms, men took over most of the responsibility of providing food. This left the women with little to put to the table in the eyes of the men. So they were taken as wives, and thought of a property rather than equals. In the Babylonian  river valley civilization, under the Code of Hammurabi, this is apparent. Several laws obviously depict women as the property as me, such as:

209. If a man strike a free-born woman so that she

lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels

for her loss.

210. If the woman die, his daughter shall be put to

death.

This states that the man who killed the pregnant woman will be punished with the seizing of his "property". Even if his daughter did nothing wrong, she will die because of her father's wrong doings.

Classical Civilizations
In Classical Civilizations, women didn't fair much better, though in some empires they were offered some freedom.

In Ancient Greece/Rome, women held a higher position than they did elsewhere. They were able to run the house and even own businesses. In fact, owning a business was quite common for widows, as they had no other way to support themselves besides remarrige.

Women could also find some equality in religion. In Chrisianity, women were equal to men and had just as much right to read the Bible, and to know God, as any man. During their lives they could even devote themselves to God by leaving average life behind and becoming a nun. Buddhism also promoted equality, as it was believed women as well as men could reach Nirvana. However, not all  religions were so kind to women. For example, in Hinduism, women were not allowed to read the sacred Vedas, nor was it believed that they could reach Moksha.

Summation
While early history was somewhat kind to women, it soon became harsher after the Neolithic (Agricultural) Revolution. Although women saw an overall decline in appreciation, power, equality, and rights, they would find new outlets by Classical times. Though some empires and religions still refused to recognize their potential in benefiting society, others had begun to. Some religions such as Christianity, and empires such as Rome and Greece, gave woman an outlet for that potential and perhaps they saw that it was worth it. But the light at the end of the tunnel could not yet be seen, women still have alot of history to go through, and very little of it is likely to be kind to them. By Alyssa Briggs