Power or Privilege? Parallel Gender Hierarchies in the American Southwest

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This poster explores the concept of parallel gender hierarchies as applied to the Hohokam culture of the American Southwest. Bioarchaeological work in regions adjacent to the Hohokam area has revealed evidence of sexual inequality within multiple sites, presenting as poor health and less elaborate burial treatment for females compared to males. More nuanced analysis reveals that the impacts of these inequalities were distributed unevenly between females, indicating an intersectional aspect to this marginalization. Among the Hohokam, archaeological evidence for sexual inequality also exists, though comparing osteological data is difficult, due to the widespread practice of cremation. Instead, sexual differentiation in mortuary assemblages and the existence of some high-status female burials have been interpreted as evidence for complementary gender roles resulting in parallel hierarchies for men and women. Because social divisions by sex are often considered “horizontal” rather than “vertical,” it is implied that these separate hierarchies were essentially equal. By contrast, investigations of intersectional inequality can explore gender as a vertical class system interacting dynamically with other statuses and identities. Such an analysis presents a compelling alternative explanation for the fact that, when treated as an undifferentiated group, Hohokam females display less evidence for wealth, power, or prestige than males.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38439.0