Life Science

Digging up the Past

In an audio profile, archaeologist Rita Wright uncovers the status of women in the field, thousands of years ago and today.

February 8, 2008
Rita Wright, who also specializes in ceramics, partially excavated a kiln in Pakistan. [Credit: Rita Wright]
Rita Wright, who also specializes in ceramics, partially excavated a kiln in Pakistan. [Credit: Rita Wright]

Explore feminist archaeology. In this edition of the Sound of Science, Rita Wright talks about women in archaeology now and archaeology’s bias, until recently, toward studying men in ancient societies. She describes what it is like to work as a woman in areas like Pakistan and how her job influences her home decor.

About the Author

Discussion

8 Comments

Jane says:

The work Rita Wright does with civilizations that don’t have much or any written history is so important because both men and women can be represented equally in what is discovered.

Randy Epperson says:

Great article and interview. Very interesting and thought provoking. A perspective I hadn’t thought about before.

Very well done and professional.

Rachel – keep up the good work!

Dale says:

Nicely done. The interview was intriguing and very professional.

Mary Koester says:

Another awesome job! This one was exceptionally good!
Can’t wait to see what you do next…

Kathy Junge says:

Rachel, you did an excellent job!! I had never thought of women in anthropology before and found this very interesting.

Adam Glenn says:

Great job turning your original profile into a really intriguing audio interview piece. The format definitely brings it to life!

I thought that this was just a piece of foolish femenism. What is so God-aweful hard,or glorious about being a mother and an archeologist? Another woman whinning about the glass ceiling! How many women applied to grad school in archceology last year compared to men?
Sounds to me like Rita, unbelievably is whinning about the unforgivable plight of women as evidenced by what?>>>>>> A bunch of female bones found by the fire next to the bones of animals that she hunted, slaughted, and cooked while the old man in his Fred Flinstone garb drinking an ancient prdecessor to Bud Lite and watching dinasoures throw a pig skin around.

I, by the way, have practiced medicine for forty years and havn’t seen even a splinter of glass in the ceilings of the High School, College, Med School, residencies, or in Hospitals where every physician works and competes for excellence, presstiege and money, no matter their sex, number of children nor how much they invent ancient sexisums to boister their underlying insecurities.

I am a bleeding heart liberal, but grow impatient with women like Ms Rita.

Kenneth J. Gallant,DO

Hope my sentiments are not too Offensive or inappropriate. please post.

n says:

you tell em kenneth

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