The Black Trowel Collective has some great articles on their blog that speak exactly to this point: that we cannot just fill in gaps in our understanding of history with our modern assumptions. The Dawn of Everything by Graeber & Wengrow has a similar thesis statement. Very good works if anyone wants to know more about this from an (anarchist) archaeology perspective.
Reminds me about an article I read once about these mysterious small “ceremonial” pots male archaeologists kept digging up and couldn’t figure out. Some were plain, some were crafted with cute faces, etc. Scholars came up with all kinds of explanations for how they were used in rituals or were symbolic of whatever.
And then an archaeologist who was also a nursing mother looked at the pots and said, “These are obviously for feeding milk to babies.” And sure enough, this led to examination of the pot interiors, where they discovered milk proteins, both human and animal.
At 5'4", this puts me I believe in the bottom 2% of height for men. I can confirm that a low centre of gravity, and superior speed and agility do indeed confer certain advantages at least in modern war games, for example playing defence in hockey when all the other boys are quite a bit larger.
To know women were warriors historically, I believe the only proof one needs is to know some women in the present day. The only three people I would gladly follow into battle:
- My yoga teacher. 65, 5'3". Grew up in the wilds of South Africa with six brothers. Fought apartheid. Steely eyes that see straight thru ya, and an air of command backed by wisdom and intelligence unmatched in any human I have ever known.
- My neighbour. Also 65, 5'4" (and a half!). Butch as fuck, old-school independent sort that re-shingles her roof and rebuilds her deck herself. Prob the only one on our block or even nearby that owns guns and knows how to use a chainsaw to fell a tree. Fierce, fearless, I'd dare anyone to try to knock her down. I know of no man that would not shit his pants to see her coming over the hill, axe in hand.
- A good friend. VP in global engineering firm, viking descended, 'valkyrie' almost doesn't cut it. Over six foot before she puts on her fluvogs, kicks more ass in an avg week than most of us in a lifetime, I reckon. Builds solid teams with ease by poaching women engineers undervalued elsewhere. Her tales of winning the day in a field full of classic misogynists are stuff of legend. O y, crack shot; hunting grouse or turkey, head shots only. Instant death and of course meat not full of shot.
I despise authority as much as any anarchist, but folk like these I would trust entirely as leaders worth following. As decent and caring as they are formidable.
Love the 'reversal' in this piece, classic. I think UKL would approve.
The Black Trowel Collective has some great articles on their blog that speak exactly to this point: that we cannot just fill in gaps in our understanding of history with our modern assumptions. The Dawn of Everything by Graeber & Wengrow has a similar thesis statement. Very good works if anyone wants to know more about this from an (anarchist) archaeology perspective.
Reminds me about an article I read once about these mysterious small “ceremonial” pots male archaeologists kept digging up and couldn’t figure out. Some were plain, some were crafted with cute faces, etc. Scholars came up with all kinds of explanations for how they were used in rituals or were symbolic of whatever.
And then an archaeologist who was also a nursing mother looked at the pots and said, “These are obviously for feeding milk to babies.” And sure enough, this led to examination of the pot interiors, where they discovered milk proteins, both human and animal.
"Sometimes we forget about Odin,"😂
*Chef's kiss*
At 5'4", this puts me I believe in the bottom 2% of height for men. I can confirm that a low centre of gravity, and superior speed and agility do indeed confer certain advantages at least in modern war games, for example playing defence in hockey when all the other boys are quite a bit larger.
To know women were warriors historically, I believe the only proof one needs is to know some women in the present day. The only three people I would gladly follow into battle:
- My yoga teacher. 65, 5'3". Grew up in the wilds of South Africa with six brothers. Fought apartheid. Steely eyes that see straight thru ya, and an air of command backed by wisdom and intelligence unmatched in any human I have ever known.
- My neighbour. Also 65, 5'4" (and a half!). Butch as fuck, old-school independent sort that re-shingles her roof and rebuilds her deck herself. Prob the only one on our block or even nearby that owns guns and knows how to use a chainsaw to fell a tree. Fierce, fearless, I'd dare anyone to try to knock her down. I know of no man that would not shit his pants to see her coming over the hill, axe in hand.
- A good friend. VP in global engineering firm, viking descended, 'valkyrie' almost doesn't cut it. Over six foot before she puts on her fluvogs, kicks more ass in an avg week than most of us in a lifetime, I reckon. Builds solid teams with ease by poaching women engineers undervalued elsewhere. Her tales of winning the day in a field full of classic misogynists are stuff of legend. O y, crack shot; hunting grouse or turkey, head shots only. Instant death and of course meat not full of shot.
I despise authority as much as any anarchist, but folk like these I would trust entirely as leaders worth following. As decent and caring as they are formidable.
Love the 'reversal' in this piece, classic. I think UKL would approve.