,Table of Contents
PREFACE....................................................................................................................................................... 4
HOW DID ANCIENT SOCIETIES DEVELOP INTO PATRIARCHIES?.......................................................................7
WHAT CONSTITUTED MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILISATION?..................................................................................9
HOW WAS THE CIVILISATION STRUCTURED?.................................................................................................................9
Cities................................................................................................................................................................9
Government.....................................................................................................................................................9
Social structure..............................................................................................................................................10
Culture...........................................................................................................................................................11
WHAT DOES THE LAW TEACH US ABOUT THE MESOPOTAMIAN SOCIETY?........................................................................12
The script.......................................................................................................................................................12
The Code of Hammurabi:..............................................................................................................................12
WHAT WAS THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE MESOPOTAMIAN SOCIETY?.................................................15
HOW WERE WOMEN POSITIONED ACCORDING TO THE LAW?........................................................................................15
WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS?.........................................................................................................16
DID WOMEN HAVE PAID JOBS?...............................................................................................................................17
WHAT WAS THE WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE FAMILY?.....................................................................................................18
WHAT CONSTITUTED THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CIVILISATION?......................................................................19
HOW WAS THE CIVILISATION STRUCTURED?...............................................................................................................19
Cities..............................................................................................................................................................19
Government...................................................................................................................................................19
Social structure..............................................................................................................................................20
Culture...........................................................................................................................................................21
WHAT DOES THE LAW TEACH US ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SOCIETY? ...........................................................................22
WHAT WAS THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SOCIETY?.....................................................24
HOW WERE WOMEN POSITIONED ACCORDING TO THE LAW? .......................................................................................24
WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS?.........................................................................................................24
DID WOMEN HAVE PAID JOBS?...............................................................................................................................25
WHAT WAS THE WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE FAMILY? ....................................................................................................26
WHAT CONSTITUTED THE MAYAN CIVILISATION?........................................................................................29
HOW WAS THE CIVILISATION STRUCTURED?...............................................................................................................29
Cities..............................................................................................................................................................29
Government...................................................................................................................................................29
Social structure..............................................................................................................................................30
Culture...........................................................................................................................................................31
WHAT DOES THE LAW TEACH US ABOUT MAYAN SOCIETY?..........................................................................................32
WHAT WAS THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN MAYAN SOCIETY?.......................................................................33
HOW WERE WOMEN POSITIONED ACCORDING TO THE LAW?........................................................................................33
WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS?.........................................................................................................34
DID WOMEN HAVE PAID JOBS?...............................................................................................................................35
WHAT IS THE WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE FAMILY?.........................................................................................................36
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF WOMEN IN THE VARIOUS CIVILISATIONS AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER
AND RESEMBLE ONE ANOTHER? ................................................................................................................. 38
2
,BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................................ 52
LOGBOOK................................................................................................................................................... 60
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................. 40
REFLECTION................................................................................................................................................ 42
EPILOGUE................................................................................................................................................... 43
APPENDIX A................................................................................................................................................ 44
NOTES......................................................................................................................................................... 46
LOGBOOK……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………-65-
3
, Preface
For the final paper of our VWO course, we have been assigned to write a PWS.
When we had to think about our PWS topic, we actually immediately knew that we
were going to choose the subject history. The course history really appeals to us
both, so we thought it would be interesting to research a particular period. We are
both interested in antiquity. This would obviously be a very general topic. Therefore,
we had to choose a more specific theme within the topic, so we came up with the
idea of researching the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians, and the Mayans. Of course,
we knew that it would be challenging to research those civilisations, but we were up
to the challenge. As for the women part of our main question. We both care a lot
about a fair position for women in society and wondered what their position was like
in the past. This eventually led us to the question: ‘What explains the different roles
in society of women in ancient civilisations?’. Women in ancient civilisations seemed
like a logical title to us. It immediately captures the essential subject of our research,
women.
4
PREFACE....................................................................................................................................................... 4
HOW DID ANCIENT SOCIETIES DEVELOP INTO PATRIARCHIES?.......................................................................7
WHAT CONSTITUTED MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILISATION?..................................................................................9
HOW WAS THE CIVILISATION STRUCTURED?.................................................................................................................9
Cities................................................................................................................................................................9
Government.....................................................................................................................................................9
Social structure..............................................................................................................................................10
Culture...........................................................................................................................................................11
WHAT DOES THE LAW TEACH US ABOUT THE MESOPOTAMIAN SOCIETY?........................................................................12
The script.......................................................................................................................................................12
The Code of Hammurabi:..............................................................................................................................12
WHAT WAS THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE MESOPOTAMIAN SOCIETY?.................................................15
HOW WERE WOMEN POSITIONED ACCORDING TO THE LAW?........................................................................................15
WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS?.........................................................................................................16
DID WOMEN HAVE PAID JOBS?...............................................................................................................................17
WHAT WAS THE WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE FAMILY?.....................................................................................................18
WHAT CONSTITUTED THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CIVILISATION?......................................................................19
HOW WAS THE CIVILISATION STRUCTURED?...............................................................................................................19
Cities..............................................................................................................................................................19
Government...................................................................................................................................................19
Social structure..............................................................................................................................................20
Culture...........................................................................................................................................................21
WHAT DOES THE LAW TEACH US ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SOCIETY? ...........................................................................22
WHAT WAS THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SOCIETY?.....................................................24
HOW WERE WOMEN POSITIONED ACCORDING TO THE LAW? .......................................................................................24
WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS?.........................................................................................................24
DID WOMEN HAVE PAID JOBS?...............................................................................................................................25
WHAT WAS THE WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE FAMILY? ....................................................................................................26
WHAT CONSTITUTED THE MAYAN CIVILISATION?........................................................................................29
HOW WAS THE CIVILISATION STRUCTURED?...............................................................................................................29
Cities..............................................................................................................................................................29
Government...................................................................................................................................................29
Social structure..............................................................................................................................................30
Culture...........................................................................................................................................................31
WHAT DOES THE LAW TEACH US ABOUT MAYAN SOCIETY?..........................................................................................32
WHAT WAS THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN MAYAN SOCIETY?.......................................................................33
HOW WERE WOMEN POSITIONED ACCORDING TO THE LAW?........................................................................................33
WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS?.........................................................................................................34
DID WOMEN HAVE PAID JOBS?...............................................................................................................................35
WHAT IS THE WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE FAMILY?.........................................................................................................36
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF WOMEN IN THE VARIOUS CIVILISATIONS AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER
AND RESEMBLE ONE ANOTHER? ................................................................................................................. 38
2
,BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................................ 52
LOGBOOK................................................................................................................................................... 60
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................. 40
REFLECTION................................................................................................................................................ 42
EPILOGUE................................................................................................................................................... 43
APPENDIX A................................................................................................................................................ 44
NOTES......................................................................................................................................................... 46
LOGBOOK……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………-65-
3
, Preface
For the final paper of our VWO course, we have been assigned to write a PWS.
When we had to think about our PWS topic, we actually immediately knew that we
were going to choose the subject history. The course history really appeals to us
both, so we thought it would be interesting to research a particular period. We are
both interested in antiquity. This would obviously be a very general topic. Therefore,
we had to choose a more specific theme within the topic, so we came up with the
idea of researching the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians, and the Mayans. Of course,
we knew that it would be challenging to research those civilisations, but we were up
to the challenge. As for the women part of our main question. We both care a lot
about a fair position for women in society and wondered what their position was like
in the past. This eventually led us to the question: ‘What explains the different roles
in society of women in ancient civilisations?’. Women in ancient civilisations seemed
like a logical title to us. It immediately captures the essential subject of our research,
women.
4
