Customer Reviews

Ancient Bodies, Ancient Lives: Sex, Gender, and Archaeology

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Archaeology is not my field, but from the first page on, that did not seem to matter. Rosemary Joyce writes with both scholarly depth and engaging accessibility; I could hardly put the book down.

I especially appreciated her nuanced navigation of the field of gender studies, which sometimes can be more political than scholarly. That was not at all the case in Ancient Bodies, Ancient Lives. Joyce did what the best authors do: inspire me to read more in her field(s) -- and more of her work.

This is a really amazing work, going outside its field of archaeology and showing why this field is important for research and society at large. Agree or disagree, the author lifts the whole sex/gender argument to a new level.

As a sociologist working with the variability of gender issues even in our own society, I find myself thinking: at last, someone out there from the "harder" sciences who have understood the complexity of the subject.

I am reading the book now, and sure, I will have critical comments also, but I write this is in order to bring it to notice. Here is a work that is head and shoulders beyond the average "what I think about sex/gender with some select findings" kind. A good read for all, and a must read for gender researchers.