Something I found to be very interesting is that when human migration eventually traveled into Eurasia during the Paleolithic Age there were female figurines found thousands and thousands of years later. “Carved from stone, antlers, mammoth tusks, or, occasionally, baked clay, these so-called Venus figurines depict the female form, often with exaggerated breasts, buttocks, hips and stomachs” (17).  This would imply that women were held in high esteem, worshipped even. A far cry from what seems to happen for the rest of the majority of history. Even now, women are still fighting to be seen as equals in the workforce. The idea that back then women may have been held in such high regards is most certainly empowering. These female figurines were not only found in a singular area; “They were not limited to a single region but have been found all across Europe, from Spain to Russia, suggesting a network of human communication and cultural diffusion over a wide area” (17).  Clearly the exaggerated “breasts, buttocks or hips” are in reference to fertility as well. “Their [women] central economic function, together with their amazing capacity to produce new life, gave women considerable respect and, arguably, a status generally equal to that of men” (66). We know that during the nomadic times as well as when farming began to take place women were seen as equals, or at least of high importance among their “tribes”. It is not until a time of civilization that we see men begin to “rise” above women in stature. “…as the first civilizations took shape, the institutions and values of male dominance, often referred to as patriarchy, gradually emerged” (66).  I found it very intriguing to learn about the different “ideas and theories” of why civilization seemed to generate patriarchy.

The first theory was that as civilization began to take its shape, the work began to get more physical. It was no longer simply keeping a garden or small crop, now it entailed “animal-drawn plows and the keeping and milking of large herds of animals” (66). Men were better able to physically do this work since they are stronger and larger than women. Another important point is that the plowing and crops now took place much farther away from the home, making it difficult for women to leave their children and do the work. “Furthermore, the growing population of civilizations meant that women were more often pregnant and even more deeply involved in child care than before” (66).

Another theory is that since men might have not been seen as important in the home, it gave them a window to assert themselves in social prestigious roles. “From these positions of authority, men were able to shape the values and practices of their societies in ways that benefited themselves at the expense of women” (67). Although, this may seem a somewhat cynical view, it may be true.