Ehrenberg's Argument Essay

There are two supporting arguments which defend the belief that women were most likely the first farmers to begin agricultural developments, as well as the founders of a multitude of innovations during agricultural revolution in the Neolithic Era. Ehrenberg argues that due to women’s continual role throughout prehistory, and in current day observable horticulture societies there is sufficient evidence to prove her argument. Since the first hunting and gathering societies began to emerge about ten-thousand years ago, women have been integral to the maintenance of these societies as foragers. As Ehrenberg notes, “Women are mainly concerned with gathering plant food, which provides the bulk of the diet of nearly all foragers, while men spend much time hunting animals.” (pg. 20). Women were also tasked with providing the majority of sustenance to their people through horticultural practices. Unlike men, they are not responsible for hunting, but rather, they remained near the home in order to take care of the children, …show more content…
Ehrenberg adds to her defense a study which provides the percentages of male and females who care for agriculture in their societies, “Of 104 horticultural societies existing today showed that in 50 per cent of them women, were exclusively responsible for agriculture, in 33 per cent women and men shared various tasks, and in only 17 per cent were men wholly responsible for farming.” (pg. 20). This study however only analyzes societies in which ploughs and large field animals such as oxen, are not used. The statistics would be drastically different in plough agriculture where most of the farm work is performed by men rather than women. In any case, the study still provides proof that there is a consistent pattern throughout history between the roles of men and

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