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=> Women’s Role in Mesopotamian Society

Women’s Role in Mesopotamian Society
Posted by Tiglath (Guest) davidchibo@hotmail.com - Friday, July 30 2004, 13:28:24 (CEST)
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Women’s Role in Mesopotamian Society

Chester Starr and Samuel Kramer present differing views in an intellectual battle of facts and analysis. Starr insists that Sumerians were male-dominated—and any females or female goddesses mentioned are merely footnotes. Kramer, however, forms a very different view by focusing on those “footnotes.” Logic seems to dictate that the revolutionary thoughts of Kramer are, indeed, correct.
Starr seems to imply that Sumerian society called for the majority of property holders to be male. He lists several essential gods such as An (the divine force) and Enlil (a god that represented the active force of nature). Nin-khurag is the first goddess mentioned—it appears she had a minor role for she was the goddess of Earth. This sounds more “creationary” than interactive. Starr continues on to suggest that the Epic of Gilgamesh leads scientists to believe that women played a minor role in society. Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the main characters, are both male. The only females Starr mentions is that of the harlot that tamed Enkidu and the goddess known as Ishtar. Ishtar is considered to be a villain because she punished Enkidu. Here, women are portrayed as prostitutes and doers of evil.
Kramer approaches the subject with a different view. He acknowledges the fact that as time progressed, the role of Mesopotamian women lessened. He, however, suggests that in early Sumerian history, women had equal roles to men at least in the higher class. Kramer sites records indicating that women carried on economic doings without the permission or direction of their corresponding husbands. It is necessary to keep in mind that new and revolutionary thoughts generally are not/were not well received by traditionalists. There is not, however, any mention of complaints where the women did this duty. Neither is there evidence presented that would suggest that women doing commercial business is unusual. To further his argument, Kramer points out the presence of various goddesses ranging from a variety of positions of hierarchy in the Sumerian pantheon. There were also a series of priestesses to assist in communication with the male gods. The Sumerian acknowledgement of the importance of the union of male and female gods and goddesses appears to suggest equality—in short, you cannot have one without the other.
In conclusion, I think that Kramer’s argument is the best supported. Starr states that Mesopotamian women’s roles declined later on during the period, but he fails to mention what their roles declined from! Kramer brings this early power in to light, siting many factual examples along the way. It is necessary to consider why women’s significance in society decreased with time. The only logical conclusion is that the men felt threatened by them. Why would they feel threatened if women did not have some sort of control? Kramer’s thorough argument seems to be supported by logical evidence, and new scientific discoveries should add to his revolutionary new views.



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