Archaeology and masculinity in Late Bronze Age Knossos
This thesis critically examines the applicability of the concept of masculinity as a descriptive or analytical category in archaeological analyses. Central to this project is the recognition that the concept of gender employed by the majority of archaeologists has limited practical application. Such a concept of gender relies upon a radical separation between sex and gender, where gender is understood to be the cultural elaboration of a natural body. Following recent feminist theorising on the body, it is argued that the categories of sex and the body are equally culturally constructed. Consequently, gender is reformulated to encompass the means by which particular ideas of the body and sex are made to appear 'natural'. Masculinity is complicit with the formulation of a binary model to sex based on the normative categories male/female. The status of the body as produced through discourse is highlighted by men's experiences of their bodies which differ from the ideals perpetuated through theory and representation. Furthermore, cross-cultural evidence indicates that bodies can be conceptualised and valorised on the basis of criteria other than the genitalia visible at birth. The analysis of figurative imagery
Alberti, Ben
CC Archaeology
Archaeology and masculinity in Late Bronze Age Knossos. This thesis critically examines the applicability of the concept of masculinity as a descriptive or analytical category in archaeological analyses. Central to this project is the recognition that the concept of gender employed by the majority of archaeologists has limited practical application. Such a concept of gender relies upon a radical separation between sex and gender, where gender is understood to be the cultural elaboration of a natural body. Following recent feminist theorising on the body, it is argued that the categories of sex and the body are equally culturally constructed. Consequently, gender is reformulated to encompass the means by which particular ideas of the body and sex are made to appear 'natural'. Masculinity is complicit with the formulation of a binary model to sex based on the normative categories male/female. The status of the body as produced through discourse is highlighted by men's experiences of their bodies which differ from the ideals perpetuated through theory and representation. Furthermore, cross-cultural evidence indicates that bodies can be conceptualised and valorised on the basis of criteria other than the genitalia visible at birth. The analysis of figurative imagery
archaeology masculinity late_bronze_age knossos critically_examine applicability concept masculinity descriptive analytical category archaeological_analysis central project recognition concept gender employ majority archaeologist limit practical_application concept gender relies upon radical separation sex_gender gender understood cultural elaboration natural body following recent feminist theorise body argue category sex body equally culturally construct consequently gender reformulate encompass mean particular idea body sex make appear natural masculinity formulation binary model sex base normative category male_female status body produce discourse highlight men experience body differ ideal perpetuate theory representation furthermore cross_cultural evidence indicate body conceptualise basis criterion visible birth analysis figurative imagery