TY - BOOK ID - 85474606 TI - Women's authority and society in early East-Central Africa PY - 2010 SN - 1283116383 9786613116383 1580467571 1580463274 PB - Rochester, N.Y. : University of Rochester Press, DB - UniCat KW - Africa, Central -- History -- To 1884. KW - Africa, Central -- Social life and customs. KW - Africa, East -- History -- To 1886. KW - Africa, East -- Social life and customs. KW - Women -- Africa, Central -- History. KW - Women -- Africa, East -- History. KW - Women KW - Gender & Ethnic Studies KW - Social Sciences KW - Gender Studies & Sexuality KW - Human females KW - Wimmin KW - Woman KW - Womon KW - Womyn KW - Females KW - Human beings KW - Femininity KW - History KW - Africa, Central KW - Africa, East KW - Africa, British East KW - British East Africa KW - East Africa KW - Africa, Equatorial KW - Central Africa KW - Equatorial Africa KW - Social life and customs. KW - History. KW - Women. KW - Manners and customs. KW - LITERARY CRITICISM KW - SOCIAL SCIENCE KW - Behavioral sciences KW - Human sciences KW - Sciences, Social KW - Social science KW - Social studies KW - Civilization KW - Criticism KW - Evaluation of literature KW - Literary criticism KW - Literature KW - Rhetoric KW - Aesthetics KW - Ceremonies KW - Customs, Social KW - Folkways KW - Social customs KW - Social life and customs KW - Traditions KW - Usages KW - Ethnology KW - Etiquette KW - Rites and ceremonies KW - African. KW - Women's Studies. KW - Technique KW - Evaluation KW - Africa, East. KW - Central Africa. KW - feminism. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:85474606 AB - This study of more than two thousand years of African social history weaves together evidence from historical linguistics, archaeology, comparative ethnography, oral tradition, and art history to challenge the assumptions that all African societies were patriarchal and that the status of women in precolonial Africa is beyond the scope of historical research. In East-Central Africa, women played key roles in technological and economic developments during the long precolonial period. Female political leaders were as common as male rulers, and women, especially mothers, were central to religious ceremonies and beliefs. These conclusions contribute a new and critical element to our understanding of Africa's precolonial history. Christine Saidi is assistant professor of history at Kutztown University. ER -