Warrior Women: History's Hidden Heroines
69Amazons - Fact or Fiction
Throughout history, civilizations have rumored of the Amazons. Were they real or a figment of a civilzation bent on controlling their women? According to Janine Davis-Kimball, an archaeologist and author of Warrior Women: An Archaeologist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines, there is evidence in the archaeological record of warrior women. Whether or not these are the fabled Amazons, no one call tell.
Herodotus "Father of History"
Herodotus was a fifth century B.C. Greek historian, considered the first Western historian. He recounted much about the nomadic tribes, sweeping West to fight the Greeks, including tales about the Massagetae Saka, who were led by Queen Tomyris.
Who were the Amazons?
Who were the Amazons? According the Greek legend, they were all-women tribes who highest value was skill in battle. The Greeks thought they were an ancient civilzation of all-female warriors that founded many cities, a culture that killed all boys or left them to die, a race of women that terrorized the surrounding areas.
What makes this tale more legend than myth (that is something was based in fact versus purely a story used to explain orgins) was the high amount of weapons found alongside women buried in the Eurasian steppes. What makes it legend and not history is the fact that "no solid and convincing archaeological evidence has been unearther to back up any of these claims--no lost cities dominated by female artifacts, no caches of artwork portraying the Amazonian point of view." (p. 121, Davis-Kimball)
Warrior Women in Film
The Archaeological Record Speaks
In Pokrovka, current day Kazakastan, Davis-Kimball and other archaeologists have uncovered evidence of warrior women, women buried with hearth materials, and women buried with shaman materials. Women of high status had many items in their burial mound, called kurgans. Some women were even buried with warrior and shaman materials. Some of the things they found: an iron dagger, forty bronze arrowheads, a spearhead, seashells, a ceramic pot containing food for the afterlife, glass and stone beads, fragment of a bronze mirror, spindle whorl and loom weight.
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Comments
A great hub! I've always been fascinated by these women warriors and you've provided some great information. I wanted to let you know I've linked this hub to one of mine, a poem called The Amazon Principle, which you might find interesting.
Really liked your hub! There is not enough known about women warriors throughout history. Left me wanting more. Kudos!
Chloe, I'm so glad you wanted more. dr. Kimball-davis' book has a great bibliography. best, Beth
Thanks bright_sorcerer! I'll check out your poem.
Violette Szabo - a heroine of classic proportion.
A quote regarding 13 of 55 remarkable women of F section SOE. Odette Churchill Hallowes' context in the quote below is that of Violette Szabo whom she referred to as "the bravest of us all."
Odette Hallowes speaking in a tribute to Violet Szabo --
"They are all our mothers and sisters, you would not be able to either learn or play in freedom today, yes, you may not even have been born, if such women had not stood their soft, slender bodies before you and your future like protective steel shields throughout the Fascist terrors" 10th. June 1993 - Odette Hallowes - Ravensbruck.
Odette was condemned to death for espionage in June 1943 and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. She survived the war and testified against the prison guards at a 1946 war crimes trial.
Very little was known about F(rance) Section of the British SOE existed until recently. Stories like that of Violet Szabo radically change my view of the world and what we owe to women - then, now, and every day.
Thanks Etienne. I look forward to your posts on Warrior Women. I'd love to hear more about Violette Szabo.
Beth Barany says:
2 years ago
I'm curious to know what you guys think of my first post. It's a start!