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WOMEN'S WORK

Valerie Steele Elizabeth Wayland

The First 20'000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times

Called "brilliantly original" by Katha Pollitt (Washington Post Book World), this is the historical account of that reframed our understanding of women's lives in early societies.
Twenty thousand years ago, women were making and wearing clothing created from spun fibers. In Women's Work, archaeologist-linguist Elizabeth Wayland Barber "weaves the strands of mythology and literature, ethnology and documented history into a rich tapestry" (John Noble Wilford, New York Times Book Review), illuminating the vital role women held in preindustrial societies. With a distinctive and innovative approach to ancient remains, Barber examines ancient textiles from Stone Age string skirts and ancient Egyptian sleeved tunics to intricate Neolithic Swiss linens and colorfully patterned Minoan dresses, offering us captivating glimpses into the daily lives of women through the cloth they made and wore. Elizabeth Wayland Barber has authored Prehistoric Textiles, The Mummies of Ürümchi, and The Dancing Goddesses, among other works. Professor emerita of archaeology and linguistics at Occidental College, she now lives in Utah.
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Published 2024-07-01 by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. - New York (USA)

Comments

Elizabeth Barber is as knowing and perceptive as any archaeologist-author in sight... Her topic is wonderfully fresh.

A fascinating history and prehistory of the making of textiles, a craft, exclusive to women (including queens and goddesses), that preceded and made possible civilization itself.

Brilliantly original.

Chinese (simpl.): Ginkgo

In this beautifully illustrated study, Barber.retrieves an important chapter in the history of civilization.. Barber illuminates women's changing social status as makers of cloth and clothing.

Fortunately, this most distinctive of female occupations has a sympathetic and authoritative chronicler in Elizabeth Wayland Barber.

No ancient writer bothers to describe in detail the process of clothmaking.. But now, fortunately, this most distinctive of female occupations has a sympathetic and authoritative chronicler in Elizabeth Wayland Barber.[A] fascinating and informative account.

An important contribution, in terms of both historical material and interpretation, to the study of women's work.