Nine thousand years ago, a woman was buried in the Andean mountains of Peru next to tools normally associated with big-game hunting. Before you think she was just a badass, UC Davis researchers found that many females in the early Americas were big game hunters and we shouldn’t be so quick to project our own gender stereotypes and current cultural values on ancient societies. In this episode of Unfold, we dig a little deeper to learn more about this archaeology discovery.
In this episode:
, archaeologist and assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Anthropology
, distinguished research professor emeritus, UC Davis Department of Anthropology
, adjunct associate professor, UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology
, indigenous theorist and cultural evolutionist with the Tsilhqot’in and Syilx nations
Transcript
Audio transcription may contain errors.
Amy Quinton Hey, Kat, have you ever been hunting?
Kat Kerlin No, have you?
Amy Quinton Well, I've hunted for my socks before and my car keys and I'm constantly hunting for my phone.
Kat Kerlin OK, that's not really hunting. That's gathering. And, you know, those things don't run away.
Amy Quinton Well, then I guess I'm just the typical female. I'm a gatherer.
Kat Kerlin So by that you mean the stereotype that men hunt and women gather just like our early human ancestors?
Amy Quinton Yeah. And you know, the image of “man the hunter” still pervades our current culture. I mean, think about it, Kat, who is the most famous hunter you know? I bet he's a man.
Kat Kerlin Wait. I don't know any famous hunters.
Amy Quinton Sure you do. What about this one?
Elmer Fudd We very quiet. I'm hunting wabbits.
Amy Quinton Wabbits, Kat, wabbits. It's Elmer Fudd.
Elmer Fudd Rabbit twacks.
Amy Quinton Kill the wabbit.
Kat Kerlin Oh god, I take that back. I do know a famous wabbit hunter.
Amy Quinton My favorite part of that is when Elmer talks about killing Bugs Bunny with his spear and his magic helmet.
Elmer Fudd I will do it with my spear and magic helmet. Your spear and magic helmet? Spear and magic helmet. Magic helmet...
Kat Kerlin OK, stop. So why are you bringing up Elmer Fudd?
Amy Quinton Because I spent every Saturday morning as a kid with Looney Tunes as my babysitter, so I appreciate the opportunity to share my fond childhood memories.
Kat Kerlin No, come on. Really?
Amy Quinton Because this "men hunt, women gather" belief about our early ancestors may not be as true as we thought, at least in the Americas. And no better person to unfold this than this guy.
Randy Haas My name is . I'm an archeologist and assistant professor in the at the 91Porn, Davis.
Kat Kerlin Oh, right. He's that archaeologist that discovered a 9,000-year-old female skeleton buried in Peru, the one they believe was a big game hunter.
Amy Quinton Yeah, she was buried along with tools normally associated with big game hunting, a spear... and a magic helmet.