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The myth of the male hunter debunked: Women hunt in most cultures — and even use a wider variety of weapons and tactics than men, study finds
- A common belief is that men were the hunters and women the gatherers
- But a new analysis finds that females hunt in most foraging cultures
A common belief is that throughout history men have been the hunters and women the gatherers.
But new analysis turns this on its head, revealing that females hunt in most foraging cultures and use a wider variety of weapons and hunting strategies than their male counterparts.
Researchers at Seattle Pacific University analyzed data from the past 100 years on 63 foraging societies around the world, including in the Americas, Africa, Australia and Asia.
They found that in at least 79 percent of these cultures, women hunt whether or not they have children.
More than 70 percent of female hunting appears to be intentional, the team said, as opposed to opportunistically killing animals they encountered while performing other activities.
A common belief is that throughout history men have been the hunters and women the gatherers. But new analysis turns this on its head and reveals that women hunt in most foraging cultures (artist’s impression)
Seattle Pacific University researchers analyzed data from the past 100 years on 63 foraging societies around the world, including in the Americas, Africa, Australia and Asia
The analysis, published in the journal Plos One, also revealed that women are most likely to target big game and are actively involved in learning hunting practices.
They also use a wider repertoire of weapons and hunting strategies compared to males, and the team found evidence that some females hunted using dogs.
The researchers said their findings suggest that in many foraging societies, women are skilled hunters and play an important role in practice.
They wrote, “Evidence from around the world shows that women in most cultures participate in the hunt for sustenance.
“The prevalence of data on hunting women goes directly against the common belief that only women collect while men only hunt.”
The findings may apply to prehistoric societies as well, as the paper references a 9,000-year-old burial discovered in Peru in which an adult female was unearthed next to a hunting tool made up of “stone projectiles.”
Analysis of the Agta – an indigenous society in the Philippines – also revealed that men rely heavily on bows and arrows, while women also use knives, nets, spears, machetes and crossbows.