Some 19th-century historians described her as the modern Messalina; others as a female Caligula. Meanwhile, Ida Laura Pfeiffer, an explorer and travel writer who traveled around the world twice in the mid-19th century, said of her that she was one of the proudest and cruelest women on the face of the Earth, and her entire […]
Women
Posted inModern Era
The Story of Bíawacheeitchish, the Female Chief of the Crow People
Although the native cultures of North America were non-literate, oral tradition and contact with the white people have allowed us to know the names and stories of many of their chiefs and warriors. However, the situation changes when we talk about women, and at least in general terms, we barely know a few names, with […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
First Tomb of a Warrior Woman from the 10th Century Discovered in the Carpathian Basin
An exceptional archaeological discovery has been revealed at the Sárrétudvari–Hízóföld cemetery, located in Hungary. Researchers have identified the first known tomb of a woman buried with weapons in the Carpathian Basin, dating to the 10th century, during the Hungarian Conquest period. This discovery challenges traditional conceptions about gender roles in medieval Central European societies and […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Mysterious Viking Women’s Tombs Filled with Extraordinary Artifacts Discovered in Norway Contain No Human Remains
At the Skumsnes farm, located on Norway’s west coast, metal detector enthusiasts discovered a coin and a brooch with textile remnants in this area last year. Now, archaeologists from the University of Bergen have confirmed that these objects come from a Viking cemetery dating to the first half of the 9th century. According to researchers, […]
Posted inModern Era
Jeannette Rankin, the First Woman Elected to the U.S. Congress, Voted Against Entering Both World Wars
The National Statuary Hall is a semicircular room in the U.S. Capitol originally built to host sessions of the House of Representatives (the lower chamber of Congress) but repurposed in 1864 to house statues of prominent historical figures from the country. There are over a hundred statues, including one of Spanish friar Junípero Serra, but […]
Posted inAncient Greece
Damo, the Philosopher Daughter of Pythagoras, to Whom He Entrusted All His Writings and Who Never Wanted to Sell Them, Preferring Poverty Over Gold
According to tradition, Damo was born in Croton, a prosperous city of Magna Graecia, around the year 535 BCE. She was the daughter of the renowned philosopher Pythagoras, founder of an influential philosophical and religious sect, and Theano (according to some sources, daughter of the famous athlete Milo of Croton), who was also a prominent […]
Posted inModern Era
The Story of the “White Woman” Captive of the Australian Aboriginals and Her Subsequent Liberation
From the myth of Prester John to the character of Tarzan, the idea of a Western white person living among jungle natives has always been intriguing. Thus, the legend that emerged in mid-19th-century Australia isn’t surprising. It began when a Scottish shepherd emigrant wrote a letter to the press reporting the discovery of several European-origin […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
French Women Had More Power in the Middle Ages Than After the Revolution
In the 14th century, power in Europe was largely in the hands of the aristocracy. Surprisingly, one-fifth of the rulers were women. Historian Erika Graham-Goering, a specialist in medieval power in France during this period, explains that women’s influence was significant and, in many cases, on par with men. According to Graham-Goering, power in the […]
Posted inArt, Bronze Age Archaeology
The Sword Bearers: An Analysis Uncovers Female Figures with Weapons in Mycenaean Art
A recent analysis by archaeologist Nicoletta Antognelli Michel of the Technical University of Darmstadt has led to a groundbreaking interpretation in the field of Mycenaean iconography. Her research suggests that a specific group of human figures depicted on pictorial-style kraters from the Late Helladic period, known as Sword Bearers, may represent women instead of male […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Findings in the Megalithic Necropolis of Panoría in Granada Reveal a Social Organization Centered on Women 4,000 Years Ago
A recent study carried out by a multidisciplinary team from the University of Granada has revealed a surprising discovery in the megalithic necropolis of Panoría, located in Darro (Granada, Spain). The research, led by the GEA group of this university, has focused on analyzing the bone remains found in nine graves of this necropolis, where […]
