Women's Work
The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times
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Women's Work
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Narrated by:
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Donna Postel
About this listen
New discoveries about the textile arts reveal women's unexpectedly influential role in ancient societies.
Twenty thousand years ago, women were making and wearing the first clothing created from spun fibers. In fact, right up to the Industrial Revolution the fiber arts were an enormous economic force, belonging primarily to women.
Despite the great toil required in making cloth and clothing, most books on ancient history and economics have no information on them. Much of this gap results from the extreme perishability of what women produced, but it seems clear that until now descriptions of prehistoric and early historic cultures have omitted virtually half the picture.
Elizabeth Wayland Barber has drawn from data gathered by the most sophisticated newer archaeological methods - methods she herself helped to fashion. In a "brilliantly original book" (Katha Pollitt, Washington Post Book World), she argues that women were a powerful economic force in the ancient world, with their own industry: fabric.
©1994 Elizabeth Wayland Barber (P)2019 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Women's Work
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jessica whiteside
- 08-02-23
completely enjoyable
I really loved this book, such a great deep dive into woman's history without feeling niche or dry.
managed to balance a large volume of information without feeling overwhelming or preaching. I was genuinely disappointed to finish the book. the narrator was also good, very chill.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-07-21
Interesting listen
loved this book and leaning alot more than just the role of women in society past. thank you
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Morag Potter
- 12-09-24
Fantastic!!
What a wonderful, revealing and extensive history of textile creation! That originally textiles (and before that strings) would mainly have been made by women is what you would have expected, but learning how this creative endeavours affected and influenced the communities is enlightening and mind blowing!!
Thank you so much for writing this book, I’m ashamed to say I have only come across it now, on its 30th anniversary, but better late than never!!
I plan on buying the book soon as I want to enjoy leafing through the pages on my second read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- K elder
- 30-11-23
facinating
just engrossed it was facinating to hear the history of fibre and looms brilliant. book
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 30-01-24
Interesting but best enjoyed in graphic form
This is a very visual book. Not sure if it's that suited to the audio format. Otherwise very interesting!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- K. Chard
- 14-03-20
Not as great as expected
I took a long time to get through this one, I expected to love it due to the title. The story teller didn't grab me with their telling of it. Disappointed.
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2 people found this helpful