How Patriarchy Convinced Us That Women Contributed Little to Society
On androcentrism, its many flawed assumptions and tricks, and research that challenges them
The figures portrayed on Late Mycenaean period kraters — large, two-handled vases popular in ancient Greece — known as ‘The Sword Bearers’ were long assumed to be male.
After all, they carry swords — objects historically associated not only with men and masculinity but also with power and authority.
But a recent analysis by archaeologist Nicoletta Antognelli Michel suggests these figures actually represent women. In addition to bearing swords crossed over their chests, the Sword Bearers wear large, elaborate cloaks and have long hair, which are details typically reserved for women in Mycenaean iconography. The figures are also shown in peaceful scenes, such as processions or alongside chariots. As Michel notes in her study:
The symbolism of the weapon in these figures could be more connected to ritual power and female authority in religious ceremonies than a representation of violence or war.
It’s been argued by several scholars before that women in Aegean civilisations — Bronze Age societies around the Aegean Sea, including the Myceneans — weren’t restricted within the…
