Redefining Gender Roles: Prehistoric Women as Skilled Hunters

Contrary to popular belief, prehistoric women were actively involved in hunting and were better suited for it due to their physiology, according to two new studies. Fossil remains suggest that women were capable of endurance hunting, using their hormone levels and wider hip structures to their advantage. Injuries found on early human fossils indicate that both men and women participated in ambush-style hunting. Additionally, archaeological evidence shows that women hunters were buried with their hunting weapons, suggesting the importance of hunting in their lives. These findings challenge the notion of a strict sexual division of labor in prehistoric societies.