Women, art and prehistory: contributions from the History of Art

Abstract

Traditionally the historiography of arts has not shown an interest about Prehistory. Nevertheless, some of the more important historians of arts have thought about art in Prehistory. In this text we analyze some of these absences motivated by the archaeological methodology that Prehistory needs in front of other historic periods with written sources and, due to this, the complexity in the analysis of senses and function of the artistic representations. We will focus in the contributions made from the History of Arts, some of them consolidate patriarchal discourses but other represents innovations in the knowledge. From a gender perspective we establish some views in order to interpret artistic creations in Prehistory, essentially regarding women as active agents in art in this period.