Transgender archaeology

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Transgender archaeology is an approach to archaeology that encompasses how transgender studies and its theoretical approaches can be a tool to understand past cultures and communities around the world. [1] This approach diversifies cisgender approaches to archaeological practice. [1] In 2016, a special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory was dedicated to papers that challenged a binary approach to gender. [2] Researchers such as Mary Weismantel have discussed how understanding past gender diversity can support contemporary transgender rights, but have called for transgender archaeology to "not re-populate the ancient past ... but to offer a subtler appreciation of cultural variation". [3] Jan Turek, writing in 2016, described how archaeological interpretation can be limited since "current gender categories do not always correspond with those of a former reality". [4]

Contents

This approach draws on and can be applied to a range of disciplines in the field, including figurative analysis, [5] [6] bioarchaeology, [7] [8] and others. [9] For figurines from coastal Ecuador, many of these objects combine both masculine and feminine attributes through either physical characteristics or dress. [10] These figures, interpreted as potentially non-binary or transgender, are found in the Tumaco-La Tolita culture, as well as from Bahía and Jama Coaque cultures. [5] Similarly, analysis of late Bronze Age figurines from Knossos demonstrated that for both faience figurines and ivory bull-leaper figurines, "sexed differences are not clearly marked in a binary fashion". [11] Alberti argues that any sexed differences are highly dependent on the socio-religious context of the figurines, rather than specifically gendered identities. [11] The importance of context is also echoed in work on non-binary and intersex visibility in Roman archaeology. [12]

Bioarchaeological estimates of sex are based on identification of potentially dimorphic features, yet neither gender nor biological sex are entirely binary categories. [13] [14] However, some characteristics that are often viewed as sexually dimorphic may not, depending on the age of the individual whose body is being analysed. [7] [15] For example, cranial robustness tends to be associated as a male characteristic, yet it can also be considered a female characteristic because the effects of menopause can produce the same. [7] Additionally, the categorisation of sex uses a spectrum of female, probable female, ambiguous sex, male and probable male. [7] This is dependent on the confidence of the researcher in the estimation, rather than focus on the possibility of "sex-gender fluidity" in the past. [7]

Studies that support interpretations of gender fluidity include ones on pre-Columbian Maya burial practices, [7] multiple Hidatsa genders during the pre-Columbian era, [16] mortuary practices in Chumash communities, [17] communities during the Copper Age on the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria, [18] the excavation and interpretation of a 5,000 year old person by the Czech Archaeological Society, [19] the reassessment of grave Bj.581 at Birka, [20] non-binary gender expression in Inuit cultures, [21] Roman Galli, [22] [23] a 1,000 year old person who likely had Klinefelter syndrome from Finland, [24] the life of Elagabalus, [25] prehistoric burials in Europe, [26] historical archaeology around the Engabao community in Ecuador, [27] material cultures in medieval England, [28] [29] dress in eighteenth-century Ireland, [30] and many others. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

The word cisgender describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, i.e., someone who is not transgender. The prefix cis- is Latin and means on this side of. The term cisgender was coined in 1994 as an antonym to transgender, and entered into dictionaries starting in 2015 as a result of changes in social discourse about gender. The term has been and continues to be controversial and subject to critique.

Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary and that sexual and marital relations are most fitting between people of opposite sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pansexuality</span> Sexual attraction to people regardless of sex or gender identity

Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people of all genders, or regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual people might refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their romantic or sexual attraction to others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-binary gender</span> Gender identities other than male or female

Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or female. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gender that is different from the sex assigned to them at birth, though some non-binary people do not consider themselves transgender.

LGBT slang, LGBT speak, queer slang, or gay slang is a set of English slang lexicon used predominantly among LGBTQ+ people. It has been used in various languages since the early 20th century as a means by which members of the LGBTQ+ community identify themselves and speak in code with brevity and speed to others. The acronym LGBT was popularized in the 1990s and stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to transgender topics.

The gender binary is the classification of gender into two distinct forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system, cultural belief, or both simultaneously. Most cultures use a gender binary, having two genders.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of LGBT topics</span> Overview of and topical guide to LGBT topics

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Legal gender, or legal sex, is a sex or gender that is recognized under the law. Biological sex, sex reassignment and gender identity are used to determine legal gender. The details vary by jurisdiction. Legal gender identity is fundamental to many legal rights and obligations, including access to healthcare, work, and family relationships, as well as issues of personal identification and documentation. The complexities involved in determining legal gender, despite the seeming simplicity of the underlying principles, highlight the dynamic interaction between biological characteristics, self-identified gender identity, societal norms, and changing legal standards. Because of this, the study of legal gender is a complex field that is influenced by cultural, historical, and legal factors. As such, a thorough investigation is necessary to fully understand the subject's implications and breadth within a range of legal systems and societies.

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References

  1. 1 2 Hartemann, Gabby Omoni (2021-03-31). "Stop Erasing Transgender Stories From History". SAPIENS. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  2. ↑ Ghisleni, Lara; Jordan, Alexis M.; Fioccoprile, Emily (2016). "Introduction to "Binary Binds": Deconstructing Sex and Gender Dichotomies in Archaeological Practice". Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. 23 (3): 765–787. doi:10.1007/s10816-016-9296-9. hdl: 10454/9906 . ISSN   1072-5369. JSTOR   43967040.
  3. ↑ Weismantel, Mary (2022-05-18), "Towards a Transgender Archaeology", The Transgender Studies Reader Remix (1 ed.), New York: Routledge, pp. 380–391, doi:10.4324/9781003206255-40, ISBN   978-1-003-20625-5 , retrieved 2024-04-13
  4. ↑ Turek, Jan (2016). "Sex, Transsexuality and Archaeological Perception of Gender Identities". Archaeologies. 12 (3): 340–358. doi:10.1007/s11759-017-9303-0. ISSN   1555-8622.
  5. 1 2 Ugalde, María Fernanda (2019). "Las alfareras rebeldes: una mirada desde la arqueología ecuatoriana a las relaciones de género, la opresión femenina y el patriarcado". Antípoda. Revista de Antropología y Arqueología (in Spanish) (36): 33–56. doi:10.7440/antipoda36.2019.03. ISSN   1900-5407.
  6. ↑ Alberti, Benjamin (2002). "Gender and the Figurative Art of Late Bronze Age Knossos". In Hamilakis, Yannis (ed.). Labyrinth revisited: rethinking "Minoan" archaeology. Oxford: Oxbow Books. pp. 98–117. ISBN   978-1-84217-061-8.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Geller, Pamela L. (2005). "Skeletal Analysis and Theoretical Complications". World Archaeology. 37 (4): 597–609. doi:10.1080/00438240500404391. ISSN   0043-8243. JSTOR   40025095.
  8. ↑ Geller, Pamela L. (2009). "Identity and Difference: Complicating Gender in Archaeology". Annual Review of Anthropology. 38: 65–81. doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-091908-164414. ISSN   0084-6570. JSTOR   20622641.
  9. ↑ "Archaeologists for Trans Liberation". anthro{dendum}. 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  10. ↑ Sapiens (2020-07-09). "What Ancient Gender Fluidity Taught Me About Modern Patriarchy". SAPIENS. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  11. 1 2 Alberti, Benjamin (2001). "Faience goddesses and ivory bull-leapers: The aesthetics of sexual difference at Late Bronze Age Knossos". World Archaeology. 33 (2): 189–205. doi:10.1080/00438240120079244. ISSN   0043-8243.
  12. ↑ Power, Miller (2020-12-18). "Non-Binary and Intersex Visibility and Erasure in Roman Archaeology". Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal. 3 (1). doi: 10.16995/traj.422 . ISSN   2515-2289.
  13. ↑ Springate, Megan E. (2020-07-26), Orser, Charles E.; Zarankin, Andrés; Lawrence, Susan; Symonds, James (eds.), "Intersectionality, queer archaeology, and sexual effects", The Routledge Handbook of Global Historical Archaeology (1 ed.), New York : Routledge, 2020.: Routledge, pp. 95–116, doi:10.4324/9781315202846-6, ISBN   978-1-315-20284-6 , retrieved 2024-04-13{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  14. ↑ Geller, Pamela L. (2019), Buikstra, Jane E. (ed.), "The Fallacy of the Transgender Skeleton", Bioarchaeologists Speak Out, Bioarchaeology and Social Theory, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 231–242, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-93012-1_10, ISBN   978-3-319-93011-4 , retrieved 2024-04-13
  15. ↑ Schall, Jenna L.; Rogers, Tracy L.; Deschamps-Braly, Jordan C. (2020). "Breaking the binary: The identification of trans-women in forensic anthropology". Forensic Science International. 309: 110220. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110220. ISSN   1872-6283. PMID   32200173.
  16. ↑ Prine, E. 2000. Searching for third genders: towards a prehistory of domestic space in Middle Missouri villages. In Voss, B. and Schmidt R. Archaeologies of Sexuality. Routledge, London, UK. pp 197–219.
  17. ↑ Hollimon, S. E. 2000: Archaeology of the 'aqi: gender and sexuality in prehistoric Chumash society, in Archaeologies of Sexuality, pp. 179–196.
  18. ↑ Stratton, Susan (2016). ""Seek and you Shall Find." How the Analysis of Gendered Patterns in Archaeology can Create False Binaries: a Case Study from Durankulak". Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. 23 (3): 854–869. doi:10.1007/s10816-016-9290-2. ISSN   1072-5369. JSTOR   43967044.
  19. ↑ Everhart, Avery Rose (2022). "Bones without Flesh and (Trans)Gender without Bodies: Querying Desires for Trans Historicity". Hypatia. 37 (4): 601–618. doi:10.1017/hyp.2022.50. ISSN   0887-5367.
  20. ↑ Price, Neil; Hedenstierna-Jonson, Charlotte; Zachrisson, Torun; Kjellström, Anna; Storå, Jan; Krzewińska, Maja; Günther, Torsten; Sobrado, Verónica; Jakobsson, Mattias; Götherström, Anders (2019). "Viking warrior women? Reassessing Birka chamber grave Bj.581". Antiquity. 93 (367): 181–198. doi:10.15184/aqy.2018.258. ISSN   0003-598X.
  21. ↑ Walley, Meghan (2018). "Exploring Potential Archaeological Expressions of Nonbinary Gender in Pre-Contact Inuit Contexts". Études/Inuit/Studies. 42 (1): 269–289. doi: 10.7202/1064504ar . ISSN   0701-1008. JSTOR   26775769.
  22. ↑ Pinto, Renato; Pinto, Luciano C. G. (2013-03-27). "Transgendered Archaeology: The Galli and the Catterick Transvestite". Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal (2012): 169. doi: 10.16995/TRAC2012_169_181 . ISSN   2515-2289.
  23. ↑ "International Transgender Day of Visibility: The Galli in Yorkshire - York Archaeology". 2023-12-10. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  24. ↑ Moilanen, Ulla; Kirkinen, Tuija; Saari, Nelli-Johanna; Rohrlach, Adam B.; Krause, Johannes; Onkamo, Päivi; Salmela, Elina (2022). "A Woman with a Sword? – Weapon Grave at Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, Finland". European Journal of Archaeology. 25 (1): 42–60. doi: 10.1017/eaa.2021.30 . ISSN   1461-9571.
  25. ↑ "Elagabalus: A Transgender Roman Emperor?". North Lincolnshire Museum. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  26. ↑ Pape, Eleonore; Ialongo, Nicola (2024). "Error or Minority? The Identification of Non-binary Gender in Prehistoric Burials in Central Europe". Cambridge Archaeological Journal. 34 (1): 43–63. doi:10.1017/S0959774323000082. ISSN   0959-7743.
  27. ↑ Benavides, Oswaldo Hugo (2024). "Cracking the Capitalist Code: Archaeology, Resistance and the Historical Present in Ecuador". International Journal of Historical Archaeology. 28 (1): 33–44. doi:10.1007/s10761-022-00692-1. ISSN   1092-7697.
  28. ↑ Tess Wingard, The Trans Middle Ages: Incorporating Transgender and Intersex Studies into the History of Medieval Sexuality, The English Historical Review, Volume 138, Issue 593, August 2023, Pages 933–951.
  29. ↑ Bennett, Judith M. (2008). "Two Women and their Monumental Brass, c. 1480". Journal of the British Archaeological Association. 161 (1): 163–184. doi:10.1179/174767008x330572. ISSN   0068-1288.
  30. ↑ Calvert, Leanne (2024-01-02). "'Came to her dressed in mans cloaths': transgender histories and queer approaches to the family in eighteenth-century Ireland". The History of the Family. 29 (1): 109–130. doi: 10.1080/1081602X.2024.2310546 . ISSN   1081-602X.
  31. ↑ "Vol. 23, No. 3, September 2016 of Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory on JSTOR". www.jstor.org. Retrieved 2024-04-13.

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