There's a general feeling - not wholly sustantiated, but nevertheless quite compelling, that through the Palaeolithic to Neolithic periods women played a distinctly central role in human societies.
The whole issue come to a head when the issue of political and theological control is considered - were human societies before the established advent of civilisation actually Matriarchal in nature? If so, to what extent did was this Matriarchal control delivered?
The problem is that the archaeology is simply too sparse to give us direct evidence of Palaeolific thoughts in any great detail. Although there are many tantalising hints of a specific female-centric worship, so far as I know, there is no certainty of the implications of any finds. For example, was there simply a strong fertility cult or ritual within a general Patriarchal Indo-Europeanism?
Or were male and female deities essentially separate, married only through political ties?
I once read what I can only suggest to be a purely speculative claim, that once there was a dominant Matriarchy through most human cultures, that slowly gave way to an equality of gender, where Matriarch and Patriarch were elevated together. And then, as we certainly see in our nearer recorded histories, the Patriarchs wield sole power and the woman becomes a chattel.
Of course, woman is rising - slowly but surely - to an equal position again - does this mean that one day in the far future we will actually see a distinct Matriarchy over humanity again? Certainly a possibility.
The question here is: if we consider the possibility of a Matriarchal rule over at least some measure of the Palaeolithic period, and to some significant degree over the population of humanity - then what do people actually envisage that rule to have been like?
The reason I ask is that I've encountered previous laims that a Matriarchy would be, essentially, a Golden Age of peace and prosperity - of joy and compassionate living - in essence, Utopia for all.
However, is it also equally possible that a Matriarchy would simply be as dominant and oppressive as any of the worst Patriarchal structures?
As there is a general tendency to patriarchal living in tribal societies, then does this also mean that there never was a great pre-historical Matriarchy in the first place?
An issue open to discussion.
The whole issue come to a head when the issue of political and theological control is considered - were human societies before the established advent of civilisation actually Matriarchal in nature? If so, to what extent did was this Matriarchal control delivered?
The problem is that the archaeology is simply too sparse to give us direct evidence of Palaeolific thoughts in any great detail. Although there are many tantalising hints of a specific female-centric worship, so far as I know, there is no certainty of the implications of any finds. For example, was there simply a strong fertility cult or ritual within a general Patriarchal Indo-Europeanism?
Or were male and female deities essentially separate, married only through political ties?
I once read what I can only suggest to be a purely speculative claim, that once there was a dominant Matriarchy through most human cultures, that slowly gave way to an equality of gender, where Matriarch and Patriarch were elevated together. And then, as we certainly see in our nearer recorded histories, the Patriarchs wield sole power and the woman becomes a chattel.
Of course, woman is rising - slowly but surely - to an equal position again - does this mean that one day in the far future we will actually see a distinct Matriarchy over humanity again? Certainly a possibility.
The question here is: if we consider the possibility of a Matriarchal rule over at least some measure of the Palaeolithic period, and to some significant degree over the population of humanity - then what do people actually envisage that rule to have been like?
The reason I ask is that I've encountered previous laims that a Matriarchy would be, essentially, a Golden Age of peace and prosperity - of joy and compassionate living - in essence, Utopia for all.
However, is it also equally possible that a Matriarchy would simply be as dominant and oppressive as any of the worst Patriarchal structures?
As there is a general tendency to patriarchal living in tribal societies, then does this also mean that there never was a great pre-historical Matriarchy in the first place?
An issue open to discussion.
