Warrior Women: An Archaeologist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines by Jeannine Davis-Kimball

by Jeannine Davis-Kimball

Was Herodotus's account of the Amazons fact or fiction? Archaeologist Jeannine Davis-Kimball, in Warrior Women, an account of her digs at burial sites of Eurasian nomads, finds it an embellishment of the former. But, she posits, women's place in that world was generally more exalted than previously thought.

Nearly one-quarter of the women buried in some late Iron Age sites were either warriors or priestesses. Even the remainder, "hearth women," were important players in the tribes' surprisingly egalitarian societies. Further, southern Kazakhstan's famous "gold man" was in fact, a "gold woman." Davis-Kimball also finds solid evidence of "high status" women in graves as far east as China and as far west as Ireland.

Warrior Women is, thankfully, free of lazy sensationalism. But it is frustratingly organized, with little regard to either chronology or geography. Further, Davis-Kimball never places her finds in any sort of context, be it popular or scholarly. --H. O'Billovitch

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Archaeology, Feminism, Womens, Anthropology, Womens Studies

Paperback

First published February 14, 2002

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title doesn't do this book justice and although one can't say it's totally misleading, it was misleading enough to make me hesitate reading it. A better title would have been "Musings by a Female Field Archaeologist" as it is an interesting journal of how the same discoveries can be interpreted through the different eyes of their discoverers. Hence the famous "Gold Man" discovered near the village of Issyk in southern Kazakstan in 1969, muses Dr. Davis Kimball, is more likely to have been a high priestess or a "Gold Woman"--a consideration not voiced by the early male archaeologist who worked the dig deciding that it had to be a high-born male, ignoring its size and accompanying artefacts associated with female sorceresses. Another possible title might have been "Ancient Motifs across Cultures" as another theme is tracking the migration of various ancient motifs as they were introduced across geographies with migrating populations. Here she hit a bull's eye for me as I, too, have long been fascinated by the frequency one encounters distinctly similar ancient "animal motifs" (those wonderful leaping felines and stags with enormous horns) -- in Irish museums, in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, in steppe excavations, etc. not to mention all those tales of one-breasted Amazons and human-sacrifice-demanding goddesses.

Assuming that the book's audience was targeting the general public (not art historians or archaeologists) and especially those interested in 'Women's Studies', one can not fault it as being too generalist. However, given Dr. Davis Kimball's experience, I would have preferred she had not dumbed down the topic because she has amassed a good deal of information on female shamans, earth goddesses and their related myths and legends from the fabled Amazons to Irish women warriors. For anyone who has wondered why witches are always depicted with those amazingly large, broad-brimmed, tall hats--Dr. Davis-Kimball has the answer...and even though I have seen the same famous Silk Road mummies with their tall hats our author saw, I never made the connection, as she does, with the way most witches are depicted...so my hat is off to her. Well observed, and very cleverly connected.

So in many ways this book was disappointing, but at the same time, immensely interesting--so a 2 and a 4 = 3 stars. In the meantime, I hope the author is reworking and expanding the material into a more focused tome, concentrating on just one or two of the many themes she picks up in this volume because just as the conversations would begin to get interesting, off we'd be on a new topic. That said, I'm going to recommend it to several friends interested in steppe symbolism.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome sauce. Jeannine Davis-Kimball's interestingly written and amazingly information Warrior Women: An Archaeologist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines was just what I needed to get me out of my all YAL SFF, all the time rut.

Davis-Kimball came to archaeology late in life - or at least later than the norm as she had already had a "life" prior - but man did she attack her new career with awesome dedication. The woman impressed me almost as much as the book, and that's saying something as I found the book very impressive.

Davis-Kimball's focus on powerful women in history is the result of her work with Eurasian burial grounds. During her digs in the steppes, she, quite literally, unearthed evidence of egalitarian societies, of women warriors and priestesses, of powerful (to use today's vernacular) housewives and mothers. And she uncovered for me - what was probably not surprising to her - that patriarchal societies (including the modern one) actively work to suppress evidence suggesting that women were anything more than subordinate to men. Ever. Even today, our powerful women throughout history are presented as out of the ordinary, as uncharacteristic and commendable examples of womanhood, as ones who rose above their allotted space. Turns out that space may have been allotted much later in our history than previously imagined; then again, we seem to operate under the assumption that women were (are) inferior from the very beginnings of time, so maybe that's not saying much.

While primarily interested in the role of women in Eurasian nomadic societies, her discoveries with these cultures led her to Western cultures also as archaeological evidence quite clearly suggests the two societies were in contact - even blended living spaces. Caucasoid mummies have been found in China, and religious and cultural iconography and even clothing styles appear in both Eurasian and Western digs. Yeah, stuff like this geeks me out. The idea of two cultures so removed from each other geographically meeting and sharing is just freaking awesome. It's not like travel was easy-peasy back then, and it takes some serious balls to wander into the unknown with very little and no real way back.

I could regale you with tale after tale, with fact after fact; the book is brimming with interesting tidbits that are both entertaining and insightful. I even started marking pages so I could add in this or that fact to the review. But I marked so many pages that I realized the best thing I could do would be to urge you to read this on your own.

The writing here is accessible, academic, and narrative; Davis-Kimball's voice is relatable, and I enjoyed listening to her (figuratively speaking). And there are sidebars and footnotes - which I love. Unreasonably so to be honest. I have a thing for sidebars and footnotes, and the ones in this book are certainly worthy of my love.

My only issue with the book concerned the structure. There is very little regard to chronology, and at times, 'what came first' actually is an issue. Placing the discoveries in context is important for a comprehensive view, and very little of that occurs here. It's almost as if I am being given chunks of information which I have to piece together myself to see the big picture. For someone very unfamiliar with the topic, this is not exactly easy, and I would have preferred a bit more in the way of organization.

Overall though, I so thoroughly enjoyed reading Warrior Women that I'm 80% sure I am going to break my new rule regarding donating books I've already read. Yep, I may have to keep this one on my shelves. Bad me.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a book about actual women warriors, so was disappointed that this was largely an archaeologist's travelogue about the challenges of travelling and working in different locations (mostly the USSR and China) and the diplomatic song-and-dance often involved in working in these settings; interesting, but not what I was after. Rather than focusing on actual warrior-women, the author's focus seemed more on female status in general (particularly priestesses) in ancient cultures including the Scythians, Mongols, Amazons (compared to Greeks), and others, including a little near the end about the old Irish and Norse. Some of these women were warriors, but it didn't seem a large enough portion of her discussions to warrant the title position, and her arguments seemed to show more "women in different ancient cultures were not as subservient as popular culture often thinks, and held various positions of significant power or influence" than "look at all these specific warrior-women and how they kicked butt and left their mark".
I didn't like the frequent little information asides presented in text-boxes (sometimes 2 pages long) throughout the book, which might work in textbooks to give a specific example illustrating a point, but were just distracting and interrupted the writing-flow in this context.
There was interesting information here and there, often on lesser-known cultures and historical points, but not a focused-enough narrative or argument for me.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Warrior Women, but it was also frustrating in some ways - she only talks about areas that she's had personal experience with, such as the Chinese mummies, which didn't really fit with the "Hidden Heroine" topic. The title also lead me to believe that the book was mainly about, well, warrior women. In reality, they only made up one chapter, maybe two if you count the chapter on the Amazons, whom have no evidence of actually existing but were probably made up based on stories of foreign women to keep Greek women in line.

The book also only covers Eurasia. In the second to last page, she mentions that an ancient North African kingdom trained women as bodyguards. Why not more information?

I think part of the brevity is the lack of information on general. Really, all we know about the ancient warrior women in the steppes was that they existed. Their nomadic tribes didn't have any written language, so all the evidence comes from burial goods. Plus, the presence of women buried with weapons was ignored for many years by the archaeological establishment.

Still, the book did contain some fascinating tidbits and was easy to read. I would recommend it as an introduction to the topic. It gave me other avenues to explore in my reading.

[Lissa Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing read for fellow history nerds, and a wonderful resource to add authenticity to warrior women characters in your writing.

[LynnDee (LynnDee's Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting topic, dry writing. TL;DR version is that women have been badasses throughout history, millennia even, but because men are trash & the patriarchy has been writing the history they left the badass women out of it.

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid I loved nothing better than to read about prehistoric animals. And my favourite books on the subject were those written by the famous Roy Chapman Andrews - who could have been the paleontological equivalent to Indiana Jones.

Andrews' books were great because he didn't just write about the animals whose fossils he hunted - he wrote about the hunt, the tough country traversed, the hard rock scraped and sifted.

The same themes run through Jeannine Davis-Kimball's book, only her science, like Indy's, is archaeology. Her focus in "Warrior Women" is the role of women in positions of power in ancient nomadic societies.

Beginning with her breakthrough excavations on the rugged Russian-Kazakstan border in 1994, Ms Davis-Kimball takes us from excavated graves full of remarkable finds to remote caverns adorned with art in which women are predominant. She also writes of her own encounter with a female shaman in Mongolia and other examples she has witnessed of ancient traditions still being upheld.

And finally, from the Eurasian steppes she follows the trail of the Celts to the British Isles and more recent historic events, including the exploits of one very famous warrior woman, Boudicca (Boadicea) queen of the Iceni.

I bought "Warrior Women" a few years ago as a source book for a unit of study I was undertaking... and while it was very useful at the time, it has taken me until now to read the entire book purely for enjoyment.

I always meant to get around to it, and now, I'm glad I finally did.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is great work chasing the footsteps of the warrior women in Middle Asia. Well, apparently the Amazon existed but not in the form of the Ancient Greeks wrote because their aim was to create some image to keep their women docile and keep their patriarchal ways.

The other very important discovery is the “Golden Man!”. When the grave was opened it became cleared that the “Golden Man” was actually “Golden Woman”. Apparently the women of the past were deliberately made to be forgotten and the history was and still is twisted to protect the certain dominators and their benefits.



The whole history of humanity must be re-written.

[LAB · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author sets out to reveal the lopsided interpretation of archaeological evidence for social status and warfare as found in burials located in Eurasian sites. Her re-examination of museum collections and archaeological reports, and her participation on archaeological excavations in Eurasia, allowed Davis-Kimball to expose a male bias that underplayed the role of women. From Amazons to Irish warrior queens, she pretty effectively revealed that women were central to societal health and success, and that they were also fighters with sword and arrows. The respect given them showed in their burials and were a testament to the high regard of their peers. But archaeologists chose to interpret the burial settings and contents through a patriarchal lens.

The publisher and other reviewers characterized Dr. Davis-Kimball's book as "delightful," and "engaging" and credit the author with transforming the way people think of archaeology. I don't agree. Instead, I had to hunt among her narrative for the data she discussed. For me her writing style was off-putting and obscured the points she strove to make. I think others will enjoy the book but it was not for me.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warrior Women in a Fierce World
Warrior Women by Jeannine Davis-Kimball, Ph.D. explores the elements of parts of history that today's society left behind. The strong and powerful women who shaped our world but not our text books. The women who could have held their own with men and not back down. For this reason if not the spectacular imagery or wild adventures that flow from Davis’s pen alone should make you and any young women aspiring for great things to read it as well. I treasure the knowledge in the book but this is not why it's one of my favorites it is the message that anyone young woman can find their place in this big vast world. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt they were insignificant or unimportant. For the little girls who have ever been told they couldn't do something or the older women who have been told they are past their prime. This book however is not only to empower young women but also to show young men how damaging a narrow mind can be to the larger pictures. That they can be forces for change and demand that women not be left out of history or constantly be overlooked. That is why I recommend this book for the way it shows how important we are to the story of this world and leaving anything out would be a mistake. This is why I found this book incredibly interesting as well as informative. Davis paints the most magically pictures of the centers of her studies which sound almost stranger than fiction. For anyone looking for an adventure, an inspiration, a vast vault of knowledge or a combination of the three I highly recommend Warrior Women By Jeannine Kimball Davis.

[Marie Carmean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book written by an archaeologist whose work has unearthed many warrior women from history. Published in 2002 it was outdated, however. The work provided a good overview for someone becoming interested in prehistoric and early historic cultures. Many groups mentioned on its pages would make fascinating in-depth studies, and I have in fact already been involved in some personal digging on some of them. As an up-to-date in-depth study none-the-less, the book falls short. A good beginning, however, for anyone wishing to find out more about women in history and about the early Eastern cultures.

[Natalie Hayner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit more speculative than I would have preferred, but overall it was incredibly interesting and made for a fun read. I need to find more anecdotal history books like this to add to my TBR. I will forever love historical stories about women being badasses.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand, I loved this book and wish there were more. I would happily have read twice as much.
On the other, I felt at times like the connections were thin, or that I was missing some important information.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an exhaustive history by any means, but a great gloss over of some interesting historical periods.

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned a little, but found too much of it to be conjecture and romantic leaps, sadly.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/10/20 Clear and well written for a general audience (3.5)

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three cheers for Jeannine Davis-Kimball for returning to school after a career in nursing, cattle ranching, and raising six kids, to become an archaeologist and obtain a PhD. Inspiring. She shares a lot about the details of the process, the craft of archaeology, and the patience and meticulous work habits that are necessary. It was fascinating to read. I look forward to watching the NOVA documentary, "Mysterious Mummies of China" which she collaborated on and describes in this book.

However, I don't feel as if "Warrior Women", as a title, accurately captures the book's content. Maybe, "Women of Power" or "Hidden Women" would have been better. The findings, it seems, are split among these 3 categories of women, mentioned here: "To include in their calculations these women of power - the priestesses, warriors, and high-ranking hearth women - seemed either inconvenient or inconsequential to most Russian authorities, as their story was largely brushed aside." (138) Also, the narration will jump from one site to another, without much explanation, warning, or bridging of the gaps, and the reader's left in her dust, scrambling along, trying to catch up and connect the pieces. That was my experience, anyhow. It could be that I need to read through it again, more slowly. I sort of blew right through it because I've been so excited to read this one. The concluding chapter attempts to wrap everything up and tie it cohesively together but I'm not completely convinced. 3.5 stars.

[Kaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a nutshell: Well-researched and well-argued where deeper research wasn't possible. Davis-Kimball doesn't make any hugely sensationalist claims and the most out-there claims she does make are not exactly Marija Gimbutas level "Women were in charge once and everything was equal and perfect and wonderful and there were unicorns that shat rainbows" stuff.

If there's anything about the book that is sensationalist, it's the title. Davis-Kimball certainly unearthed women of power and status, be they real or mythological, but she didn't actually spend that much time on honest-to-goodness warriors.

For the layperson: The book is written as a personal account of her search, rather than as a history text. This makes it far less dry and easier to read, for those who're usually put off by the flat tone of history texts.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warrior Women is a nonfiction account of the author's work to uncover and prove the existence of female warriors in the Eurasian Steppe. I found this book to be very interested because I'm currently studying to be an archaeologist and it introduced me to a lot of lesser known ancient cultures and traditions of the nomadic steppe people. It also mixed in a lot of middle eastern traditions as well as focusing whole chapters on the Amazons and females in Celtic myth. While I found these diversions from the Eurasian Steppe interesting, they made the book seem unfocused and a little lost. Overall, I really enjoyed learning about these nomadic cultures and want to seek out more about them but will probably not pick up the author again.

jeseraietre.wordpress.com

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was in college, I took a class on the Celts and Slavs, their folklore and history, and the usages thereof in art. As disparate as those two peoples seem, they do have a lot of connections and shared history.
This book synthesizes the shared history very well, being mostly an account of the author's archaeology in Kzhakhstan, but also a bit into Ireland, Russia, Turkey, China, and other places where the history of women in pre-history. Had this book been published at the time of my class, it would have been required reading.
Interesting, a quick read, and ties in nicely with my college class.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely fascinating! I picked this up after seeing it mentioned in the Amazons book I'm still working through, and I'm really glad I did. This was a much more concise look at the topic of women warriors, with more of a focus on the people of the Eurasia area. She started by peering down at one particular nomadic tribe very closely then moving out and across the globe, ending with the Celts which was very interesting. There was some overlap between things I'd read already and what she talked about but on the most part it was all knew to me information and very cool.
I recommend if this is a topic that interests you.

[Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book really fascinating. I haven't read a lot of books on anthropology so this is pretty new to me. But everything is explained really well, so I never felt lost. About the only thing I disliked were these pages explaining a topic in depth. Not that they were badly written, it was just the placement that bothered me. I would have to stop reading (since they often broke up paragraphs) read these, and find my way back to where I was. I kind of wish they were at the beginning or end of the chapter. But that was all that bothered me about this book.

[The Tick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book, and it's clear that the author knows what she's talking about. My biggest quibble was the way that the book seemed to meander a bit, and the way that the focus shifted from "women in Central Asian nomadic societies" in the first half to "powerful women in several parts of the world." However, both parts were good. I recommend it, especially if you're interested in nomadic societies.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Mongolia to Ireland Dr. Davis-Kimball takes us through her journey looking for warrior women throughout history. From the Saka warrior-priestesses like the "Gold Woman" to the Irish Sheila-na-gigs she points out how patriarchal bias has dismissed and demonized strong women of history and legend. A fascinating journey through time and forgotten lands. With thorough scholarship and painstaking analysis Dr. Davis-Kimball has certainly furthered the exploration of this fascinating subject.

[Tori]

2010- An interesting read for those, like me, that know little about archaeology. Not only did the author write in an easily accessible style, she also had very interesting theories and made many discoveries about how women in the ancient past lived. The only gripe I have was that this book is probably a bit outdated now, and I'd like to learn more!

[Sara Giacalone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A interesting look at the author's research and conclusions as she investigates the role of women in ancient cultures. I found this book to be enjoyable and easily accessible - even for a layman (or woman). Not sure if all of her conculsions are further supported by others' research - I will have to study more.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool book. A lady who gets into the archaeology field fairly late in life specializes in studying the nomadic culutres of the Euro-Asian steppes and the position of women within the ancient cultures. Fascinating

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really learned a lot from this book, as well as enjoyed the stories collected in it. Although, if you don't have a basic knowledge of archeaology and world history you will get lost quickly. I appreciated how much study the author put into it though, very nicely done.

[Jan Pospíšil · Rating 3 out of 5]

It could be a very nice entry level book into the scytho-siberian cultures, except it has a lot of autobiographic stuff that might not be interesting to the reader.
It was interesting to me, and I would've almost preferred a full autobiography.
The last Irish chapter felt a bit out of place.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting this to have an introduction about the author and her archaeological career or something then chapters on the various warrior women. This was more about the author and her experiences with a little about the women of the title. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected.