Domestication Quote by Riane Eisler
““It is also more than likely that women invented that most fundamental of all material technologies, without which civilization could not have evolved: the domestication of plants and animals. In fact, even though this is hardly ever mentioned in the books and classes where we learn history of "ancient man", most scholars today agree that this is probably how it was. They note that in contemporary gatherer-hunter societies, women, not men, are typically in charge of processing food. It would thus have been more likely that it was women who first dropped seeds on the ground of their encampments, and also began to tame young animals by feeding and caring for them as they did for their own young. Anthropologists also point to the fact that in the primarily horticultural economies of "developing" tribes and nations, contrary to Western assumptions, the cultivation of the soil is to this day primarily in the hands of women.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Chalice and the Blade, Riane Eisler, 1987
Women likely pioneered agriculture and animal domestication, shaping civilization, yet history often overlooks their role.
In simple terms: Women probably started farming and taming animals, but history ignores them.
Key Takeaway
Recognize women's foundational contributions to technology.
Themes
gender roles
history
technology
agriculture
anthropology
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
academic
historical
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- museum exhibits
- gender studies
- policy making
- community storytelling
Key Concepts
matriarchal theory
social evolution
archaeology
Questions to Reflect On
- How would history change if women's roles were fully acknowledged?
- What evidence can further support women's early technological impact?
A Different Perspective
Historical narratives often marginalize women's contributions, limiting broader understanding.
