Women's Work cover art

Women's Work

The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times

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Women's Work

By: Elizabeth Wayland Barber
Narrated by: Donna Postel
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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 Tantor Archaeology Gender Studies Social Sciences World Ancient History Textile Art

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All stars
Most relevant  
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.

completely enjoyable

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loved this book and leaning alot more than just the role of women in society past. thank you

Interesting listen

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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.

Fantastic!!

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just engrossed it was facinating to hear the history of fibre and looms brilliant. book

facinating

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This is a very visual book. Not sure if it's that suited to the audio format. Otherwise very interesting!

Interesting but best enjoyed in graphic form

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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.

Not as great as expected

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