Ancient Queens: Archaeological Explorations

by Sarah Milledge Nelson, Elisabeth Arwill-Nordbladh, Karen Bell, Jeannine Davis-Kimball, Katheryn Linduff

Overview

Exploding the traditional myth that view queens as simply an appendage to the king, these essays explore the social and cultural constructions of female power. This volume does more than merely identify and describe queens, but rather, offers its readers an understanding of the roles of these 'dominant women', situated within archaeological discourse that change our assumptions about female-ruled societies. Examining the ancient societies in Asia, North and South America, Europe and Africa, the authors explore the powerful positions held by queens, as well as the role that gender played in their kingdoms. Spearheading the notion that 'women's work' is not the same in all cultures, the contributions in this volume compel readers to rethink gender relationships and ideology in our cultures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759103467
Publisher:	AltaMira Press
Publication date:	05/28/2003
Series:	Gender and Archaeology , #5
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	8.94(w) x 5.92(h) x 0.51(d)

About the Author

Sarah Milledge Nelson is John Evans Professor of Archaeology at the University of Denver, where she is faculty in the Anthropology Department and Director of Asian Studies. Some recent books include The Archaeology of Korea (1993), The Archaeology of Northeast China (ed.)(1995), and Gender in Archaeology (1997) which won the Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Chapter One: Ancient Queens: An Introduction Part 2 Chapter Two: A Reigning Viking Queen, or the Wife of a King Only? Part 3 Chapter Three: Questioning a Queen? A Gender-Informed Evaluation of Monte Alban's Tomb 7 Part 4 Chapter Four: Many Wives, One Queen in Shang China Part 5 Chapter Five: The Queens of Silla: Power and Connections to the Spirit World Part 6 Chapter Six: She for Whom All is Said and Done: The Ancient Egyptian Queen Part 7 Chapter Seven: Sacred Women in Ancient Peru Part 8 Chapter Eight: Ancient Queens of the Valley of Mexico Part 9 Chapter Nine: Katuns: The Mongolian Queens of the Genghis Khanite Part 10 Chapter Ten: The Divine Queens of Minangkabau Lore

Editorial Reviews

These ten essays... explore the nuances of female power as the head of heirarchical systems and asks whether gender really matters in discussions of rulership.

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