UNCLOAKING NON-MALE AGENCY IN ROCK ART PRODUCTION AND USE

Archaeological reconstructions often reinforce biases of the researcher’s culture at the expense of the culture being studied. Many biases go unrecognised because of their normative status in dominant/colonising cultures. Implicit biases can result in a popular and professional picture of past cultures in which women and non-binary individuals are largely invisible as both creators and subjects of rock art and other visual media. By making gender considerations explicit, we explore these deficiencies and suggest new research pathways that are less Euro- and cis-centric and truer to the cultures under study.