Bleeding in Limbo: Health, Tasks, and Ritual in the Liminal Spaces of Prehistoric Menstruants

Summary

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

The cycles of menstruating bodies have long been characterized in terms of impurity, pathology, and socio-spiritual threat both outside and within the field of archaeology. My research makes use of the archaeological record and existing literature to shed light on the experiences of women and menstruants in prehistory outside of these typically assumed conditions and illuminates archaeological sites where primary research may help further our understanding of women's health, experiences, and liminal spaces both in antiquity and contemporary society. Looking at physical spaces, material production and taskscapes, and the social impacts and functions associated with rituals of menarche, menses, and the stages of pregnancy, this work develops a preliminary understanding of women's liminal spaces in prehistoric Scandinavia, the Americas, and the Ancient Near East. Topics explored include the mitigation of perceived impurities associated with menstruation through forms of isolation, ritual purification, and behaviour limitations; specific material production pursued in liminal periods and spaces related to menstruation and pregnancy, such as fibre arts and medicine; and dwelling structures specifically designed for women and menstruants' repeated isolation or temporary habitation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38715.0