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Feminine Context Of Prehistoric Notation Systems, David Oldroyd

Accounting Historians Notebook

A radical school of modern feminism exists which believes in the existence of a time in prehistory, before the male take-over, when society was universally matriarchal, and women enjoyed a more central role in society than men. The idea of an ancient matriarchy first gained ground in the 19th century amongst evolutionary theorists, such as Engels. He linked the oppression of women to the rise of the state, which he said had resulted in the separation of private and public domains, the activities of women being relegated to the private service of their husbands (Leacock, 1978, p. 255; Siverblatt, 1991, …