Where are the women warriors? The evidence for gender equality on the Mongolian Steppe

Summary

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

Women in pastoral nomadic steppe cultures had a higher social status and fluid gender roles than their counterparts in sedentary agricultural regions. Central Asian women (Mongol and Qidan) are historically documented to have made diplomatic, economic, and military decisions in proxy for male relatives. Mortuary evidence for women warriors is inferred from burial status and grave goods dating back to 1000 BC. This study searched for evidence of women warriors using bioarchaeological methods on their own bodies. Fifty-seven burials (36 males, 19 females, 2 adolescents) were analyzed, dating from 700 BC-1100 AD. Potential warriorhood was defined as evidence of prolonged horseback riding, archery, and trauma patterns (interpersonal and warfare). Extensive horseback riding was common for men (92%) and women (89%) through all time periods. Adolescents had musculature diagnostic of horseback riding since childhood. Archery was practiced by men (75%), women (79%), and adolescents (50%) through all time periods. Warfare related trauma was present but rare (males 17%, females 10%, adolescents 0%). This study shows that a portion of women throughout all time periods performed similar duties to men.

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): 41718.0