Age Quote by Peter Matthiessen
![“It's a simplification to say that the men [during Stone Age] went to war to maintain their dominance over the women. The men would help dig agricultural ditches because they were superb farmers. That was very heavy lifting work. But then they just preened themselves, and put bird-of-paradise…” quote by Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/67e/peter-matthiessen-5795_age_it-s-a-simplification-to-say-that-the-me_1452010.jpg)
“It's a simplification to say that the men [during Stone Age] went to war to maintain their dominance over the women. The men would help dig agricultural ditches because they were superb farmers. That was very heavy lifting work. But then they just preened themselves, and put bird-of-paradise plumes [in their hair], and smoked dope.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen, 1978
Early societies assigned gendered labor based on physical demands, not dominance, with men handling heavy agricultural work while women managed other tasks.
In simple terms: Men did heavy farm work; women did other roles.
Key Takeaway
Recognize that gender roles can stem from practicality, not power.
Themes
gender roles
division of labor
history
anthropology
Mood
analytical
reflective
Type
historical
anthropological
When to use this quote
- archaeology
- anthropology
- education
- policy making
Key Concepts
patriarchy
social organization
gender studies
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern perceptions of gender roles differ from ancient ones?
- What factors shape labor division today?
A Different Perspective
Simplifying gender dynamics ignores cultural complexity.
![“As well as the [League of Nations] delegates themselves and their suites, there were innumerable campaigners of one sort and another, male and female, clerical and lay, young and old; all with some notion to publicise, some pet solution to offer, some organisation to promote. They gathered in…” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b8/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_league-of-nations_as-well-as-the-league-of-nations-delegat_1201683.jpg)
