Prehistoric gender roles not as rigid as previously thought

A study of Neolithic cemeteries in Hungary found that gender roles in prehistoric Europe, while clearly defined, were never quite as rigid as assumed. And, at least one woman had apparently decided they didn't apply to her. Archaeology Magazine reports on a study of 125 skeletons dated to 5300–4650 B.C., where most men were buried on their right side with polished stone tools and most women on their left with shell bead belts. Among the exceptions: one older woman buried with the stone tools, whose skeletal structure shows she spent her life doing physically demanding work more typical of the men in her community. Published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology, the research identified seven burials that crossed expected gender lines.