--- product_id: 666079742 title: "Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years" price: "£31.18" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/666079742-womens-work-the-first-20-000-years store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years **Price:** £31.18 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years - **How much does it cost?** £31.18 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/666079742-womens-work-the-first-20-000-years) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description One of American Scientist ’s “100 Books that Shaped a Century of Science” "A fascinating history of…[a craft] that preceded and made possible civilization itself." ― New York Times Book Review The 30th-anniversary edition of a historical account, called “brilliantly original” by Katha Pollitt ( Washington Post Book World ), that reframed our understanding of women’s lives in early societies. Twenty thousand years ago, women were making and wearing clothing created from spun fibers. In Women’s Work , archaeologist-linguist Elizabeth Wayland Barber “weaves the strands of mythology and literature, ethnology and documented history into a rich tapestry” (John Noble Wilford, New York Times Book Review ), illuminating the vital role women held in pre-industrial societies. With a distinctive and innovative approach to ancient remains, Barber examines ancient textiles from Stone Age string skirts and ancient Egyptian sleeved tunics to intricate Neolithic Swiss linens and colorfully patterned Minoan dresses, offering us captivating glimpses into the daily lives of women through the cloth they made and wore. 71 illustrations, 5 maps Review: A book all women should read - I'm not a weaver. I once tried to spin wool and almost put my eye out. I have a mild interest in anthropology/archeology but, as a woman, this book satisfied a wonderful little niche for knowledge inside me that I didn't even know was empty. It is absolutely fascinating how the authoress explains how traditional jobs(hunting/gathering/herding/weaving/etc.) were sorted out by sheer necessity of gender, ie: women had to stay home to gestate and raise children; men could roam farther away from home and undertake more dangerous tasks. The details and research seem to be plentiful as well as fascinating and it made me imagine the days when a woman was never seen without her spindle in hand, making the thread to produce the cloth that her family would need endlessly. (There is even a tale about a solid gold spindle found by archaeologists.) Just the thought of the amount of work it took to produce a single thread makes me almost swoon at the thought of a person being laid out in yards of cloth just to be buried. If you don't weave, this is a very interesting book. If you are a weaver, you have to read this book from cover to cover and keep it on your bookshelf forever. It's priceless information for any woman/weaver. Update, October 2011: Because of this book, I have started spinning and weaving. I'm rereading the book as I learn how to make my own yarn from wool roving. I feel the connection to all the thousands and thousands of years of spinners that have gone before me. It's amazing how relaxing spinning can be and weaving is equally zen-like. Warping a loom takes a long time but it still makes me feel that connection to all weavers and I find it very calming while I'm doing it. Find a local weavers guild, get this book and get going! You'll love it. Review: Fascinating. Draws connections I hadn't thought of - Fascinating. Draws connections I hadn't thought of. The first chapter was especially well-written. I have spun, woven and knitted for many years. The descriptions are clear and accurate. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #131,641 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #25 in Archaeology (Books) #276 in Women in History #332 in Women's Studies (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 640 Reviews | ## Images ![Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91yEkZk17cL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A book all women should read *by S***E on February 24, 2009* I'm not a weaver. I once tried to spin wool and almost put my eye out. I have a mild interest in anthropology/archeology but, as a woman, this book satisfied a wonderful little niche for knowledge inside me that I didn't even know was empty. It is absolutely fascinating how the authoress explains how traditional jobs(hunting/gathering/herding/weaving/etc.) were sorted out by sheer necessity of gender, ie: women had to stay home to gestate and raise children; men could roam farther away from home and undertake more dangerous tasks. The details and research seem to be plentiful as well as fascinating and it made me imagine the days when a woman was never seen without her spindle in hand, making the thread to produce the cloth that her family would need endlessly. (There is even a tale about a solid gold spindle found by archaeologists.) Just the thought of the amount of work it took to produce a single thread makes me almost swoon at the thought of a person being laid out in yards of cloth just to be buried. If you don't weave, this is a very interesting book. If you are a weaver, you have to read this book from cover to cover and keep it on your bookshelf forever. It's priceless information for any woman/weaver. Update, October 2011: Because of this book, I have started spinning and weaving. I'm rereading the book as I learn how to make my own yarn from wool roving. I feel the connection to all the thousands and thousands of years of spinners that have gone before me. It's amazing how relaxing spinning can be and weaving is equally zen-like. Warping a loom takes a long time but it still makes me feel that connection to all weavers and I find it very calming while I'm doing it. Find a local weavers guild, get this book and get going! You'll love it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fascinating. Draws connections I hadn't thought of *by L***A on February 12, 2026* Fascinating. Draws connections I hadn't thought of. The first chapter was especially well-written. I have spun, woven and knitted for many years. The descriptions are clear and accurate. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fascinating Story, Gifted Storyteller *by N***O on December 19, 2007* I ran across this book almost by accident. I was feeling rather glum one day, and I asked my wife to recommend a book for me - something that was out of the ordinary and would cheer me up. She recommended "Women's Work". I was a little skeptical that it would appeal to a techie guy like myself, but soon I was absorbed in Elizabeth Wayland Barber's storytelling. "Women's Work" tells the story of textiles in human history. In nearly every society, spinning, weaving, and sewing have been done almost exclusively by women, so the history of textiles is also a history of women's work - or one important part of it. That's still reflected in our language, for example, when we refer to the "distaff side" - a distaff being a stick used to hold fiber for spinning. Wayland Barber tells her story with with wit and clarity. And more than that, she tells the story of the story - that is, she traces not only what we know about textiles in ancient times, but describes how we know it. So, this is not only a fine history, but it's a fine, readable treatise on historiography as well. I can warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in textiles, or women's history, or how history is written, or who has the blues and just wants to read a darn good book. ## Frequently Bought Together - Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years - Fabric of Civilization - The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/666079742-womens-work-the-first-20-000-years](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/666079742-womens-work-the-first-20-000-years) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-09-25*