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Elizabeth Wayland Barber
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Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years - Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times First Paperback Edition.

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 579 ratings
See all formats and editions

"A fascinating history of…[a craft] that preceded and made possible civilization itself." ―New York Times Book Review

New discoveries about the textile arts reveal women's unexpectedly influential role in ancient societies.

Twenty thousand years ago, women were making and wearing the first clothing created from spun fibers. In fact, right up to the Industrial Revolution the fiber arts were an enormous economic force, belonging primarily to women.

Despite the great toil required in making cloth and clothing, most books on ancient history and economics have no information on them. Much of this gap results from the extreme perishability of what women produced, but it seems clear that until now descriptions of prehistoric and early historic cultures have omitted virtually half the picture.

Elizabeth Wayland Barber has drawn from data gathered by the most sophisticated new archaeological methods―methods she herself helped to fashion. In a "brilliantly original book" (Katha Pollitt, Washington Post Book World), she argues that women were a powerful economic force in the ancient world, with their own industry: fabric.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0393313484
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0393313482
  3. Edition
    First Paperback Edition.
  4. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 1996
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
  8. Print length
    336 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Elizabeth Barber is as knowing and perceptive as any archaeologist-author in sight…Her topic is wonderfully fresh."
― Scientific American

About the Author

Elizabeth Wayland Barber is the author of Prehistoric Textiles, The Mummies of Ürümchi, and The Dancing Goddesses, among other works. She is professor emerita of archaeology and linguistics at Occidental College, and lives in Utah.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; First Paperback Edition. (January 1, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393313484
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393313482
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1360L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 579 ratings

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Elizabeth Wayland Barber

Elizabeth Wayland Barber

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
579 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and educational. They appreciate the well-researched and detailed content, describing it as an informative read on the history of textiles and fabrics. The pacing is described as deft and clear, with simple language. Readers appreciate the book's exploration of women's history and their place in society. The book provides a comprehensive overview of fabric development during prehistoric times and ancient times.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Reading qualityResearch qualityHistoryPacingFemale historyFabric work
73 customers mention "Reading quality"73 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and educational. They appreciate the interesting information about daily life thousands of years ago. The book combines anthropology, history, literature, and humor in a cohesive core that answers the question.

"...The details and research seem to be plentiful as well as fascinating and it made me imagine the days when a woman was never seen without her spindle..." Read more

"This book is wonderful. I really enjoy reading about the history of textiles and fabrics and how it ties into women’s contributions to humanity." Read more

"I found this book very informative on the subject matter...." Read more

"...Haven't quite finished the book but so far I find it very educational and interesting!" Read more

49 customers mention "Research quality"49 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's research quality good. They appreciate the thorough and comprehensive overview of women's work and textile history. The details and sources used in the book are fascinating, and readers will remember insights from it forever. Readers recommend the book for educational settings like history, women's studies, and textiles.

"...And more than that, she tells the story of the story - that is, she traces not only what we know about textiles in ancient times, but describes how..." Read more

"...The details and research seem to be plentiful as well as fascinating and it made me imagine the days when a woman was never seen without her spindle..." Read more

"...This is both a book for an educational setting (history, women's studies, textiles), as well as for readers with a more casual interest." Read more

"I enjoyed this book tremendously. At once scholarly and accessible, the book illuminates the lives of women in the Neolithic by creative and..." Read more

38 customers mention "History"38 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the history of textiles and fabrics. They find it provides a wide-ranging summary of textile development during prehistoric times and ancient times. The book helps them understand weaving techniques and provides insights into domestic and cultural early history. It is a must-read for fashion and costume historians.

"...So, this is not only a fine history, but it's a fine, readable treatise on historiography as well...." Read more

"...It's amazing how relaxing spinning can be and weaving is equally zen-like...." Read more

"This book is wonderful. I really enjoy reading about the history of textiles and fabrics and how it ties into women’s contributions to humanity." Read more

"...she finds valuable information in discarded shreds of cloth, overlooked details in myths, and personal knowledge of the crafts being studied...." Read more

37 customers mention "Pacing"34 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's pacing engaging. They praise the author's skillful prose and accessible writing style. The text is academic but clear, with simple language and easy to understand concepts. Readers appreciate the author's exploration of linguistic connections between early civilizations in an engaging narrative style.

"...Wayland Barber tells her story with with wit and clarity...." Read more

"...The author writes in a friendly, casual tone, but certainly provides the detailed documentation you would expect from her credentials...." Read more

"...of knowledge allows her to support her arguments with archeological, linguistic, ethnographic evidence and more...." Read more

"...been made during my lifetime which have made my domestic & working life so much easier, I appreciate and marvel even more at all that my sister..." Read more

20 customers mention "Female history"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative about women's history and textile work. They appreciate its insights into women's place in society and how their work ties into humanity. The book illuminates the lives of women in the Neolithic period through creative and accessible storytelling. It provides valuable information for any woman or weaver, reconstructing domestic life through physical artifacts, literature, and linguistics.

"...It's priceless information for any woman/weaver...." Read more

"...the history of textiles and fabrics and how it ties into women’s contributions to humanity." Read more

"...(history, women's studies, textiles), as well as for readers with a more casual interest." Read more

"...At once scholarly and accessible, the book illuminates the lives of women in the Neolithic by creative and multidisciplinary means...." Read more

7 customers mention "Fabric work"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's account of fiber and textile work in several early civilizations. They find it engaging for fabric and clothes lovers, as they can appreciate not only the textiles but also the women who crafted them. The history of women, cloth, and their place in society is also discussed.

"...I am easily bored, and this book was so gripping I made it half way through on the first sitting...." Read more

"The book is a wonderful primer on the history of women, cloth, and their place in society...." Read more

"...tells the story of women and the textile work that has (pre-) historically been theirs...." Read more

"...Elizabeth Barber's data is alive. I can see and feel not only the textiles, but also the women who crafted them." Read more

llegó en buenas condiciones y rápido
5 out of 5 stars
llegó en buenas condiciones y rápido
compré este libro por mi interés hacia las telas y las lanas, y el impacto que han tenido las mujeres en la sociedad. aún no he leído el libro pero tengo algas expectativas. llegó en perfectas condiciones
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Nemo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Story, Gifted Storyteller
    Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    I ran across this book almost by accident. I was feeling rather glum one day, and I asked my wife to recommend a book for me - something that was out of the ordinary and would cheer me up. She recommended "Women's Work". I was a little skeptical that it would appeal to a techie guy like myself, but soon I was absorbed in Elizabeth Wayland Barber's storytelling.

    "Women's Work" tells the story of textiles in human history. In nearly every society, spinning, weaving, and sewing have been done almost exclusively by women, so the history of textiles is also a history of women's work - or one important part of it. That's still reflected in our language, for example, when we refer to the "distaff side" - a distaff being a stick used to hold fiber for spinning.

    Wayland Barber tells her story with with wit and clarity. And more than that, she tells the story of the story - that is, she traces not only what we know about textiles in ancient times, but describes how we know it. So, this is not only a fine history, but it's a fine, readable treatise on historiography as well.

    I can warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in textiles, or women's history, or how history is written, or who has the blues and just wants to read a darn good book.
    26 people found this helpful
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  • ScotDeerie
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book all women should read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not a weaver. I once tried to spin wool and almost put my eye out. I have a mild interest in anthropology/archeology but, as a woman, this book satisfied a wonderful little niche for knowledge inside me that I didn't even know was empty.

    It is absolutely fascinating how the authoress explains how traditional jobs(hunting/gathering/herding/weaving/etc.) were sorted out by sheer necessity of gender, ie: women had to stay home to gestate and raise children; men could roam farther away from home and undertake more dangerous tasks.

    The details and research seem to be plentiful as well as fascinating and it made me imagine the days when a woman was never seen without her spindle in hand, making the thread to produce the cloth that her family would need endlessly. (There is even a tale about a solid gold spindle found by archaeologists.) Just the thought of the amount of work it took to produce a single thread makes me almost swoon at the thought of a person being laid out in yards of cloth just to be buried.

    If you don't weave, this is a very interesting book. If you are a weaver, you have to read this book from cover to cover and keep it on your bookshelf forever. It's priceless information for any woman/weaver.

    Update, October 2011: Because of this book, I have started spinning and weaving. I'm rereading the book as I learn how to make my own yarn from wool roving. I feel the connection to all the thousands and thousands of years of spinners that have gone before me. It's amazing how relaxing spinning can be and weaving is equally zen-like. Warping a loom takes a long time but it still makes me feel that connection to all weavers and I find it very calming while I'm doing it. Find a local weavers guild, get this book and get going! You'll love it.
    26 people found this helpful
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  • Cato the Elder
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
    Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book is wonderful. I really enjoy reading about the history of textiles and fabrics and how it ties into women’s contributions to humanity.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Judith
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great information here.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I found this book very informative on the subject matter. I am always fascinated by what women made themselves in the past and how it was enmeshed with their daily lives and culture. I enjoy making things, but women of the distant past HAD to make them if they wanted them. Seeing how this worked into their lives with their children, female relatives and friends and how they worked together, really intrigues me.

    I have not read similar books, so I have no comparison, but the book certainly more than met my expectations and I would recommend it to others who seek this type of information. The author writes in a friendly, casual tone, but certainly provides the detailed documentation you would expect from her credentials. This is both a book for an educational setting (history, women's studies, textiles), as well as for readers with a more casual interest.
    One person found this helpful
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  • CatsAndRavens
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Did not come with a dust cover but is in excellent condition and they did add a few newspaper articles about the book as well! Haven't quite finished the book but so far I find it very educational and interesting!
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  • Cynthia Cook
    5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminates the crucial role of "women's work" in the development of settled human communities
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book tremendously. At once scholarly and accessible, the book illuminates the lives of women in the Neolithic by creative and multidisciplinary means. A wonderful example of feminist scholarship (although I don't know what the author would make of that description!), she finds valuable information in discarded shreds of cloth, overlooked details in myths, and personal knowledge of the crafts being studied. The lives of these women come vividly to life, as well as their essential role in the development of settled communities. Her impressive breadth of knowledge allows her to support her arguments with archeological, linguistic, ethnographic evidence and more. A tremendous contribution to our understanding of human cultural development - the importance of string, for example - and the primary role of women in that development
    43 people found this helpful
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  • Marie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, fascinating
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Reconstructs domestic life through physical artifacts, literature and linguistics. I read it every few years. Much more interesting and engaging than he title would suggest.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • hermoso libro, llegó en perfectas condiciones
    5.0 out of 5 stars llegó en buenas condiciones y rápido
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    compré este libro por mi interés hacia las telas y las lanas, y el impacto que han tenido las mujeres en la sociedad. aún no he leído el libro pero tengo algas expectativas. llegó en perfectas condiciones
    Customer image
    hermoso libro, llegó en perfectas condiciones
    5.0 out of 5 stars llegó en buenas condiciones y rápido
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024
    compré este libro por mi interés hacia las telas y las lanas, y el impacto que han tenido las mujeres en la sociedad. aún no he leído el libro pero tengo algas expectativas. llegó en perfectas condiciones
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kathie Béland
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read!
    Reviewed in Canada on October 7, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Fascinating read! I’ve learned so much!!
    Report
  • Daniela Gauzzi Carneiro Nogueira
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantástico!! Excelente o trabalho de pesquisa da autora. Recomendo
    Reviewed in Brazil on December 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Quem se interessa pela arqueologia do trabalho de tecelagem das mulheres vai aproveitar esse livro.
    Report
  • Amazon-Kunde seit 1997
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lieblingsbuch - Zeitreisen für geschichtlich Interessierte
    Reviewed in Germany on July 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Dies ist eins meiner Lieblingsbücher, das ich alle paar Jahre wieder lese.
    Die Autorin beschreibt die Herstellung von Textilien als originäre Beschäftigung
    von Frauen, da sie während der Betreuung von Kleinkindern ausgeübt werden kann.
    Die Entwicklung des Webens wird von Anfang an gezeigt mit vielen spannenden
    Einblicken in die unterschiedlichsten Kulturen.
    Die Autorin schreibt unglaublich interessant und obwohl dies ein Sachbuch ist,
    liest es sich wie ein spannender Roman und trägt mich zuverlässig in andere Zeiten.
    Die anderen Bücher der Autorin, wie z.B. The Mummies of Urumchi kann ich auch
    sehr empfehlen!
    Report
  • Bonnie McClellan-Broussard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating book, excellent vendor.
    Reviewed in Italy on August 23, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Book arrived exactly on time, good price, good condition. The content of the book is wonderful if you're interested in the history of textile development but not a student looking for a textbook. At several points the author stretches to propose her own 'why's' regarding some developments but, as a reader, I felt that she was honest about where she had more definite information and where it was supposition. Engagingly written and I'm sure I'll have occasion to read it a second time.
    Report
  • Carine
    5.0 out of 5 stars very interesting book
    Reviewed in France on June 11, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    THis book was a discovery but I realy enjoyed reading it. It is well written,
    progressing through the history with logic and academic knowledge. What amazed me
    is the parallel between archaeology and linguistics. E. Barber gives us an in-depth
    and well-researched analysis of textile history. I would advise this book
    to the people really interested in the subject.
    Report