Women’s work? A gender approach to textile production in Bronze Age Greece 1500-SDN-TMTB-PKWTWG
The course examines the archaeology of textiles and textile production through a gender perspective, encompassing both historical divisions of labour and gender imbalance among contemporary scholars working on textiles. The source materials for these considerations, including preserved textiles, textile tools, written and iconographic sources, derive primarily, though not exclusively, from Bronze Age Greece. The aim of the course is to critically reflect on the limitations and benefits of a gender approach to the study of a craft traditionally associated with women and their products – items that can define individual and social gender identities.
The classes will cover topics such as the level of knowledge and skills required in textile production, the complexity of the textile chaîne opératoire, and the economic role of textiles, including the organisation of production, administrative practices, redistribution of raw materials and finished goods, as well as the organisation of trade and exchange, and the social status of textile workers. We will also examine potential biocultural traces indicating involvement in textile production, such as dental wear and the presence of microtraces of textile raw materials in dental calculus. Finally, we will address the question of why textile archaeology is practised primarily by women.
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Term 2026L:
The course examines the archaeology of textiles and textile production through a gender perspective, encompassing both historical divisions of labour and gender imbalance among contemporary scholars working on textiles. The source materials for these considerations, including preserved textiles, textile tools, written and iconographic sources, derive primarily, though not exclusively, from Bronze Age Greece. The aim of the course is to critically reflect on the limitations and benefits of a gender approach to the study of a craft traditionally associated with women and their products – items that can define individual and social gender identities. |
Course coordinators
Type of course
Learning outcomes
Knowledge (knows and understands)
WG_01 demonstrates advanced knowledge of the global scholarly achievements in the humanities, including their theoretical foundations, general issues, and selected specialised topics, at a level enabling the critical reassessment of existing paradigms.
WG_03 research methodology within textile archaeology and gender archaeology
WK_01 selected fundamental dilemmas of contemporary civilization from the perspective of the humanities
Skills (is able to)
K_U01 communicate on specialized topics at a level that enables active participation in the international scholarly community within the humanities.
UW_01 use knowledge from various disciplines in humanities to creatively identify, formulate, and innovatively solve complex problems or perform research-oriented tasks; in particular, define the aim and subject of research in the humanities, appropriately develop research methods, techniques, and tools, and apply them creatively; formulate research hypotheses and draw conclusions based on research results
Social competences (is ready to)
KK_03 recognise the primacy of knowledge in solving research, cognitive, and practical problems within the humanities, while respecting standards of scholarly work and academic debate
Assessment criteria
Attendance is mandatory; students may have no more than two absences. Course credit is based on active participation in class discussions and the submission of a written critical reflection (500 words) on the application of a gender approach to one of the issues discussed during the course. The use of AI tools is permitted for literature and information searches (with students remaining responsible for verifying the accuracy of the information obtained) and for language editing if English is chosen as the language of instruction.
Bibliography
Barber, E.W. 1994. Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years. New York and London.
Lion B., C. Michel eds. 2016. The Role of Women in Work and Society. Berlin.
Matić U., B. Gaydarska, L. Coltofean, M. Díaz-Guardamino eds. 2024. Gender Trouble and Current Archaeological Debates. Cham.
Michel C., M. Harlow, L. Quillien eds. 2020. Textiles and Gender in Antiquity: From the Orient to the Mediterranean. London.
Olsen B.A. 2014. Women in Mycenaean Greece. The Linear B Tablets from Pylos and Knossos. London.
Ulanowska A. 2024. Archeologia genderowa. In A. Marciniak et al. eds., Leksykon terminów archeologicznych. Kraków, 172–174.
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Term 2026L:
Barber, E.W. 1994. Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years. New York and London. |
Notes
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Term 2026L:
language: Polish or English, depends on group preference |