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I do not accept that "the whole of the ancient world" has always been patriarchal, though the history of the "civilized world" as written by the men does seem so. Even today, anthropologists have a way of erasing female accomplishment. For example, while it was most likely women who domesticated dogs, by throwing them kitchen scraps, all…
I do not accept that "the whole of the ancient world" has always been patriarchal, though the history of the "civilized world" as written by the men does seem so. Even today, anthropologists have a way of erasing female accomplishment. For example, while it was most likely women who domesticated dogs, by throwing them kitchen scraps, all credit is given to men in the most recent documentary I saw - it was all about dogs hunting with men, something that likely only happened after women domesticated those dogs. There was no mention of women's role. It was only about men. Erasure.
Also, recently (within the past few months) DNA analysis shows that Mayans sacrificed male children as well as female, at about the same age often from the same families (at least two sets of twins were found). Call me cynical, but I suspect politics at work with who got chosen as a gift to the gods. Piss off the wrong priest or other elite and tell your kids goodbye.
We have some clues, however, that pre-written records, patriarchy was far less prevalent. I've of late been studying Japanese spirituality (by no means an expert, or even what one would consider knowledgeable - only a smattering; perhaps someone here knows more.) But I was intrigued by this one thing. There were both male and female gods in ancient Japan's Shintoism. The chief deity and origin God was Ameratsu, a female. When the patriarchal version of Buddhism was made the state religion, the female gods genders were changed and they were given male names, their histories mostly erased.
"In 552 A.D the introduction of Buddhism from China would interfere with the Shinto dominated perception of women. According to Dr. Lebra and Joy Paulson, “The aspects of Buddhism which define its character had begun to make inroads on society’s attitude towards women.” This particular form of Buddhism that assimilated in Japan was immensely anti-feminine. Japan’s newfound Buddhism had fundamental convictions that women were of evil nature, which eventually led women into a submissive role of in Japanese society." ... "The anti-feminine tendencies of Buddhism redefined the role of women and continually progressed and regressed over a period of thirteen hundred years. There is an evident change of femininity and matriarchy at the dawn of Japanese civilization to the restricted and submissive women of the Tokugawa era that was “devoid of legal rights,” by the birth of modern Japan"
http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/286/women-in-ancient-japan-from-matriarchal-antiquity-to-acquiescent-confinement
Japan still keeps an oral Shinto tradition and some of the female gods are still revered.
In the Middle East, the advent of Yahweh - father of all three "great" religions - Judaism, Islam and Christianity was when it got really nasty. Yahweh was originally a Jewish war god. He was not the only god in the pantheon, but a special god for the Jewish people, later promoted to the all-seeing, omnipotent deity we have inherited today. Yahwism, in all its forms, is deeply tied to war.
Ms. Coyote, I could not help but notice your comments about the domestication of dogs, being a dog lover myself. Many years ago when I studied Cultural Anthropology under Beth Dillingham, an associate of and co-author with one of the two founders of American Cultural Anthropology, Leslie White at Michigan, I read about the domestication of dogs. Anthropologists then thought dogs were domesticated in the way you mentioned. That is, they followed mobile bands of Hunter-gatherers and ate the food scraps those humans left behind.
Recent research indicates that this is not the best explanation. Instead biologists have found the allele which makes dogs qualitatively different from wolves. Even though dogs and wolves are both lupine creatures and can mate, producing hybrid offspring. They are not genetically the same creatures. In his recent, lovely book DOG IS LOVE author Clive Wynne actually reveals the number of the allele which is found in dogs, but not in wolves. Thus, dogs have appeared sometime in the ancient past as a result of a genetic mutation. A qualitative leap. Dogs are not domesticated wild lupine creatures. Dogs are their own thing. The obvious affection they display for humans is built into them biologically. Neither wild African dogs nor wolves can be made into lovers of humans as dogs are. It is simply not built into them.
Sorry if I am didactic. I could not resist. I love dogs.
Nobody has mentioned Riane Eisler "The Chalice and the Blade." All too passe' ? I am pretty old.
I read that long ago, and there was much to learn. But there were some factual errors in that book that were used to discredit the overall book. The best book on deep understanding of patriarchal repression and erasure of the female is "Gyn/Ecology," by Mary Daly. In fact, all her brilliant books are eye opening. She pulls (pulled, as she's passed) no punches. https://www.amazon.com/Gyn-Ecology-Metaethics-Radical-Feminism/dp/0807014133
Thanks!