Architecture and Gender: Lessons from Building Archaeology in Africa

Abstract

This chapter focuses upon the role and contribution of women in the architectural process, specifically in earthen architecture, discussing numerous case studies from Africa. The main aim is to foster interdisciplinary research, combining building archaeology, ethnoarchaeology and postcolonial theories to shed lights on understudied aspects of earthen architecture. This contribution also presents the case for a more participative form of archaeology based on community engagement as a key aspect in the analysis of the architecture from archaeological contexts. The chapter addresses two major questions: what is the impact of postcolonial theories on the analysis of earthen architecture in building archaeology? How gender and subaltern studies have improved our understanding of the construction process and overcome pre-existing discipline bias?