- Women excelled in prehistoric hunting.
- Physiological advantages explained.
- Challenges gender stereotypes.
When considering a prehistoric hunter, an image of a Neanderthal may immediately come to attention.
However, according to a recent study, these cavemen were pathetic compared to their female counterparts.
The long-held belief that women were responsible for childrearing and gathering while men were hunters has been disproven by Notre Dame University researchers.
Physiological Advantages: Women in Hunting
The researchers discovered that not only did prehistoric women participate in hunting, but their anatomical and biological characteristics also rendered them inherently more suitable for the activity.
The study’s primary author, Dr. Cara Ocobock, stated, “Rather than viewing it as a means of erasing or rewriting history, our research attempts to correct the history that erased women from it.”
The findings indicate that female bodies better adapt to endurance activities, crucial for early hunting.
The physiological advantage can be primarily attributed to hormones, specifically estrogen and adiponectin, generally found in greater abundance in the bodies of females than males.
These hormones regulate glucose and lipids within the female body, which is vital for optimal athletic performance.
Estrogen, in particular, is beneficial by encouraging the body to utilize its stored fat for energy before depleting carbohydrate reserves and by protecting cells from harm during heat exposure.
“Since fat contains more calories than carbohydrates, it burns more slowly and for a longer period,” said Professor Ocobock. “This means that the same sustained energy can keep you going longer and delay fatigue.”
In my opinion, oestrogen is the unsung hero of life.” It is critical for brain development, cardiovascular and metabolic health, and injury recovery.
Anatomical Features
Additionally, the researchers found that the anatomical features of the female anatomy may have conferred a hunting advantage.
“Because females have hips that are typically wider, they are capable of hip rotation, which causes them to take longer steps,” Professor Ocobock explained.
Maintaining a consistent distance covered faster results in metabolically “cheaper” lengthier steps.
“When considering human physiology in this manner, women are analogous to marathon runners, while men are analogous to powerlifters.”
The investigation then turned to fossil analysis for archaeological proof that women hunted.
These findings suggest that not only did prehistoric women sustain injuries from close-contact hunting, but they also held the activity in high regard and valued it.
Based on fossil records, hunting injuries and rates of wear and strain experienced by males and females are identical.
Additionally, researchers discovered early Holocene female hunters in Peru, interred alongside hunting implements.
“You don’t often be buried with something unless it was significant to you or something you utilized frequently in your life,” said Professor Ocobock.
Prehistoric Women as Versatile Contributors
‘Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that prehistoric women ceased hunting activities during pregnancy, childbearing, or breastfeeding, nor do we find any indications of a strict sexual division of labor in the distant past.
“Hunting was not exclusive to males; it belonged to all.” More individuals residing in communal areas needed to specialize in distinct occupations. Everyone had to be a generalist to survive.
The two studies, published concurrently in the journal American Anthropologist, hold significant value for both authors as they aspire for their discoveries to contribute to a paradigm shift concerning contemporary women.
Professor Ocobock stated, “This revelation is crucial in the current political climate of our society when sex and gender are in the public eye.”
And I want people to be able to change these long-standing notions of the physical inferiority of women.
We must modify the biases we harbor or, at the very least, halt before attributing them.
Further, it is not possible to definitively judge the capabilities of an individual solely based on the sex or gender they appear to be.
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