A Model for the Examination of Gender Within Domestic Spaces on the Northern Plains

by Forner, Cheryl Irene

The prehistory of the North American Plains is an exciting and dynamic area of research within the discipline of archaeology. However, for the most part, the descriptions that archaeologists have assigned to the people who created the archaeological record in this region are either gender neutral or gendered male by default. In recent years Plains archaeologists have begun to explore how, where, and why gender representation can be found on the Plains.

This thesis seeks to further Plains gender research. Specifically, task differentiation by gender for the Blackfoot, a Plains contact period culture' group, is examined and detailed in this study. The data compiled are used to set up a task differentiation model for the Blackfoot. How the Blackfoot conceptually structured the interior space of a tipi is also examined. The combined data are used to establish a model for the gendered distribution of space within a tipi. Once the model for the gendered distribution of space is established, it is tested against ten completely excavated tipi rings. The results of the spatial analysis indicate that gender can be seen archaeologically, within the features used in this study. Additionally, the findings of the analysis indicate that the best artifact classes to use when examining the gendered distribution of space are ceramics, lithics, and faunal material. Finally, recommendations for further testing of the model are made in order to confirm that the model can be used to examine gendered spaces at Plains tipi rings.