Dr. Megan Cifarelli

For centuries, the study of ancient civilizations was dominated by an approach that focused on the accomplishments and lives of men, and a few extraordinary women who succeeded in masculine spheres of activity. More contemporary approaches that integrate feminist theoretical perspectives have illuminated the significant roles of women in antiquity, and the social practices by which masculine and feminine roles were defined and performed. Rather than focusing on “Great Women” from the past, this talk will explore the limits of what we can know about the lives of ancient men and women from the perspective of material culture, by investigating the ways archaeologists try to understand the relationships between sexed bodies, gendered individuals, and grave goods in burial contexts.