Final answer:
Feminist archaeologists focus on highlighting women's roles in history, challenging gender biases, and understanding how intersecting social factors influence women's lives. They strive to reassess past research and promote greater equality and representation in archaeological narratives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Feminist archaeologists have traditionally concerned themselves with addressing the biases present in earlier archaeological research which frequently marginalized or ignored women's roles in ancient societies. Noting the predominantly male-focused lens through which much of anthropology and archaeology was once studied, feminist archaeologists sought to bring attention to the voices, perspectives, and practices of women across different cultures. They also worked to correct misconceptions about gender roles and to assert the importance of viewing societies through a more egalitarian lens, recognizing women's contributions to economic, social, and subsistence activities that had been previously overlooked or underestimated.
Research by feminist anthropologists has shown that in societies where women made substantial contributions to subsistence, they often enjoyed higher social status and equality with men. Scholars such as Ruth Tringham have critiqued past interpretations of the archaeological record, like those by Marija Gimbutas regarding European matriarchy, aiming to clarify that feminist archaeology is about a balanced and non-biased understanding of past societies. Moreover, the field has evolved to include the concept of intersectionality, analyzing how different social factors such as race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, and age intersect with gender to affect the lives of women uniquely.
Some feminist scholars have utilized their resources to challenge and discredit pseudoscientific claims about gender inequality. They have also questioned the fundamental assumptions surrounding women's roles in both public and private spheres, and the ways in which domestic and public labor intersect with broader social structures, including White supremacy and systemic racism. This work extends to reassessing the contributions of underrepresented groups in archaeology, like identifying unrecognized Black archaeologists and excavators who worked for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.