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THE SWORD IS A PLOUGHSHARE? INTERPRETING THE ‘ARMED WOMAN’ IN LATE BRONZE AGE AEGEAN ART

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2024

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Stephen O'Brien*
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Abstract

Despite Late Bronze Age Aegean art containing a number of depictions of armed women, unacknowledged preconceptions about gender continue to divert thoughts away from past women exercising violent or coercive power, and thus affecting significantly our understanding of Late Bronze Age Aegean societies in general. This paper examines the depiction of armed women in the art of the Late Bronze Age Aegean and considers how previous generations of researchers have chosen to interpret it. The author then uses recent developments in gender theory and political theory to suggest that the connection of women to power needs to be reassessed.

Παρά το γεγονός ότι η αιγαιακή τέχνη της Ύστερης Εποχής του Χαλκού περιέχει αρκετές απεικονίσεις ένοπλων γυναικών, οι ανομολόγητες προκαταλήψεις σχετικά με το φύλο εξακολουθούν να εκτρέπουν τις σκέψεις μακριά από τις γυναίκες του παρελθόντος στο να ασκούν βίαιη ή εξαναγκαστική εξουσία, επηρεάζοντας έτσι αισθητά την άποψή μας για τις κοινωνίες του Αιγαίου της Ύστερης Εποχής του Χαλκού εν γένει. Η παρούσα μελέτη εξετάζει την απεικόνιση των ένοπλων γυναικών στην τέχνη του Αιγαίου της Ύστερης Εποχής του Χαλκού και εξετάζει τον τρόπο με τον οποίο οι προηγούμενες γενιές ερευνητών επέλεξαν να την ερμηνεύσουν. Στη συνέχεια, ο συγγραφέας χρησιμοποιεί τις πρόσφατες εξελίξεις στη θεωρία του φύλου και την πολιτική θεωρία για να προτείνει ότι η σύνδεση των γυναικών με την εξουσία πρέπει να επανεκτιμηθεί.

Μετάφραση: Β. Μανωλοπούλου

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Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 119 , December 2024 , pp. 363 - 385
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Council, British School at Athens

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