In the past decade, (bio)archaeology has seen a revitalisation and interest in issues surrounding gender, sex, and sexuality. Theoretical critiques from posthumanist and feminist scholars have fundamentally challenged longstanding assumptions about binary sex/gender categories, the nature of identities in past societies, and the interpretative frameworks through which we construct narratives of the human past. For example, studies across biological anthropology and (bio)archaeology have sought to de-centre heteronormative assumptions around sexualities, as well as deconstruct our understanding of gender in the past
Alongside this, major methodological advances, particularly in the field of ancient DNA (aDNA) and peptide analysis, are generating empirical data of a kind and scale previously unimaginable. The inclusion of biomolecular approaches to sex/gender have added empirical data to challenge long held assumptions about gendered divisions of labour, social roles, and the structure of kinship in past societies. Interestingly, and counterintuitively, such datasets are increasingly used to reinforce binary worldviews, irrespective of theoretical engagement.
As is evident, theory and methods have not always worked in tandem with one another. Therefore, this special issue seeks to bring them into productive conversation. We invite contributions that are both theoretically grounded and data-rich to challenge how we understand sex, gender and sexuality in the past.
We welcome contributions from any geographic region, time period and as well as involving any methodological approach. Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Skeletal sex estimation via aDNA, peptide analyses, osteology, or combined approaches, and their implications for understanding gender identity and social roles
- Isotopic, skeletal, or biomolecular analyses that bring new insights into gendered labour, diet and mobility, stress, health or morality.
- Burial evidence for gender identity, diverse gender expression, and social personhood
- Empirically grounded discussions of gender as a component of social experience.
- Reproductive health, maternal and infant mortality, and the archaeology of birth and childcare.
We seek contributions where interpretative frameworks across all theoretical orientations and new data are in dialogue. We welcome contributions outside of the field of (bio)archaeology, so long as they are oriented towards understanding the past.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Classification
Clinical Trial
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
