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Images and pictorial representations of Paleolithic life can often tell more about the culture creating the models than the models themselves. There are several prevailing androcentric and cultural biases shown in the majority of the images provided in text books, educational films and museum displays - and even in cartoons published in newspapers and the internet (see below). Most of these depict men standing, interacting with their environments, actively participating and/or gazing directly at the viewer, whereas women, children and old people are typically crouching or sitting, associated with homes, and are rarely seen as active participants in the central structure of the images (Moser 1993: 75). By examining these pictures, it soom becomes clear that that the paintings/illustrations support “man-the-hunter” models more than any other hypotheses. Analyzing the visual depictions of prehistoric gender roles in books and museums focusing on cultural biases helps to create a collective perspective on Paleolithic life that does not necessarily reflect the archaeological record. These biases are often perpetuated in textbooks without thorough examination or question. The ideology and belief systems attached to the portrayal of men and women of the Paleolithic is perpetuated by artists (male and female alike) who have been influenced by the androcentric ideas of many archaeologists and researchers (Gifford-Gonzalez 1993:38). To change these models requires an overall ideology reevaluation that many people are not yet ready to confront, but it is necessary to think about these things and how these ideologies impact the way people understand past and present gender roles. The ways we study human origins in stereotypical terms reflect both the times and the gender issues of the culture and current anthropology. Cultural assumptions have been made in the field of Paleoanthropology, with the “man-the-hunter” model standing as a reflection of early 20th century ideology (Hager 1997-18). The "man the hunter model", which suggests human evolution is the result of men having to hunt to provide for women who stayed behind to care for children, has been challenged by the “woman-the-gather” and “food-sharing” models, and finally the revisionist version of “man-the-hunter”, the “man-the-provisioner” theory. These theories and the questions that the associated ideas raise in terms of gender roles are germane to the overall understanding of prehistory. How women are perceived in the archaeological record and then how those perceptions are presented in textbooks and museums influences how generations of anthropologists and students have approached the study of gender issues in prehistory. By challenging the ever popular "man the hunter" models of human evolution, feminist archaeologists are looking for more holistic and inclusive answers, suggesting that women played equally as important roles as men. It will take much revision, however, to completely erase the western, androcentric biases which have prevailed for countless generations, in spite of archaeological evidence that challenges and often contradicts these models. |
   
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