• Women's Work

  • The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times
  • By: Elizabeth Wayland Barber
  • Narrated by: Donna Postel
  • Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (180 ratings)

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Women's Work  By  cover art

Women's Work

By: Elizabeth Wayland Barber
Narrated by: Donna Postel
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Publisher's summary

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 newer 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.

©1994 Elizabeth Wayland Barber (P)2019 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Women's Work

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Respectful treatment of the archeological record.

Dedication to rigorous innovative archeological technique rather than innovative speculation makes this compelling. Well Done!

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9 people found this helpful

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Amazing collection of info

I am a fiber nerd. I have crocheted since I was 5, more than 50 years now. Over the years I have picked up many fiber related skill. Spinning is my most cherished. This book affirmed my passion in many ways. Well researched and delivered. I will listen many times. Fiber nerds, I can not recommend this more highly! Yes, you NEED this book😁

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9 people found this helpful

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If you want to know what women were doing…

while old white men were out creating the world and stealing history, this is (one of) your book(s). Well written, well paced interesting, informative. Nicely done. Makes clear the importance of women’s contribution to the advancement of civilization, even during times when they were enslaved by their spouses and never permitted to leave the house.

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7 people found this helpful

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Simply Wonderful.

I have this book in print as well. Fascinating history of women and their relationship to textiles.

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3 people found this helpful

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Thoughtful and engaging.

Great read for anyone interested in textiles or the role of women in earliest civilizations. Excellent narrator!

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2 people found this helpful

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Informed, when the author stayed on topic.

This was well informed when the author stuck with their specific historical expertise on textiles. Unfortunately, their understanding of world history was under-informed, antiquated and stereotypical. I had to stop. It was too painful to hear historical error after historical error.

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Fascinating But Disorganized

Combines thorough research with some engaging autobiographical storytelling, but it seemed to skip around a lot. The organization appeared to not be based on strict chronology or be a discussion of any one technology/method after another. I'm not sure what the overarching organizational scheme was, but the reading experience suffered because it didn't take a more comprehensible approach.

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Interesting text, meh narration, poor editing.

Very interesting and worth reading, however, somewhat lacking in editing and focus.

I enjoyed this read. The book is a good companion to the education I'm currently pursuing in historical textile techniques. The thrill of learning that remnants of the string skirts ancient venus figurines are portrayed as wearing still remain in some European folk costumes!

What brings the rating down is the lack of editing. Information is haphazardly repeated, often in the same chapter, and unscientific subjective wording is sometimes used. I suppose that is more acceptable in a pop-history book like this, but I prefer to have facts and feelings properly distinguished in even this kind of publication.

I found the narration somewhat breathy, on the verge of moaning at the end of sentensens.

I thoroughly recommend this to anyone interested in textile history.

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Fascinating information!

I was concerned that the age of this book (nearly 30 years) would lead to some obviously outdated information, but other than some mild language, nothing really popped out. Very enjoyable!

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The Distaff Sex weaving Civilization

The origin of civilization told from the view of the women who clothes made it possible.

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