Sarah Milledge Nelson takes on the formidable task of attempting the first comprehensive feminist, theoretical synthesis of the flood of archaeological work on gender. She examines the roles of women and men in such areas as human origins, the sexual division of labor, kinship and other social formations, state development, and ideology.

Nelson provides examples from gender-specific archaeological studies worldwide to examines such traditional myths as woman the gatherer, the goddess hypothesis, and the amazon warriors, replacing them with a more nuanced, informed treatment of gender based on the latest research. She also examines the structure of the archaeological discipline in her attempt to understand and change a discipline that has made women all but invisible - both as researcher and object of research.

Nelson's book is a benchmark work for all archaeologists working on, or interested in, gender and points the way toward fruitful avenues for further research.