Generally, if one were to ask a member of the public who had not studied archaeology or had a passing interest in the subject from media sources, to name an archaeologist, fictional or non-fictional, the majority would name a male archaeologist, or even a male presenter for a medium showcasing archaeology to the public. Nelson states that “Archaeology has been gendered male”, which in turn has had a lasting impact on all women who have gone on to study and become archaeologists.

This is despite the many key roles in developing field methodology and research that have been held by many women, and most developer-led field teams of the current day being comprised of a chiefly female contingent. Likewise, for many years, interpretation of human activity in the past has been limited to the gendered specific, familial roles that conformed to societal norms of the typical nuclear family in the 1950’s 60’s, being presented at that time by predominantly white, middle aged, male archaeologists.  However, social attitudes have vastly changed since the origins of archaeology and its then perception as a “gentleman’s hobby”.  In the modern day, our perception, language, illustration, and portrayal of genders in both the present day and the past is constantly evolving. What, if anything is being done to potentially bring these, female, formerly “silent voices” to the forefront of archaeology and how are they presented to the public?

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