This groundbreaking book changed the field of archeology

It’s the 30th anniversary of the groundbreaking book “Women’s Work, the First 20,000 Years”! The author Elizabeth Wayland Barber, both a rigorous academic and a weaver, published her first book, an academic work titled “Prehistoric Textiles”, in an era when academia simply did not accept publications by women. Despite having her work mostly overlooked by peers for decades, she ultimately prevailed in bringing her insights to both archeologists and a hungry audience of women, with her second book “Women’s Work, the First 20,000 Years”. The book simultaneously reveals ancient people as having been highly skilled artisans, places textiles at the center of human social development, and brings to light the significance of women and their textile works in history. In a recent interview by Jo Andrews of the Haptic and Hue podcast, Wayland Barber, (at the age of 83) reflects on how her work changed the field of archeology.

This is my copy of the 1994 edition of “Women’s Work”

I was deeply influenced by the book as a fashion design student in the early ‘00’s, and now I find the story Wayland Barber’s life and career to be an incredible inspiration. I hope you’ll check out the interview!