Intersections between gender, personhood and kinship

Fowler, C

doi:10.4324/9781003257530-17

Intersections between gender, personhood and kinship

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Chris Fowler ORCiD

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Abstract

This chapter considers archaeological explorations of intersections between gender, kinship, and personhood in past communities, particularly those without a textual or oral historical record. Arguing that gender, kinship, and personhood all vary culturally, are negotiated, and may be contested within each community, the chapter argues that each of these factors of identity should be explored in relation to the others. The chapter offers a brief summary of some anthropological approaches to gender, kinship, and personhood before outlining the range of evidence, and range of approaches, that have been deployed by archaeologists in attempting to draw inferences about past kinship, gender, and personhood in Neolithic to Early Bronze Age Europe. While recent work has focused on kinship in relation to gender, this chapter highlights the value of considering personhood at the same time. Finally, it identifies some challenges and opportunities for studies of gender, kinship, and personhood in prehistoric European communities.