[colorado tanker]

I am very suspicious of the theory that an ancient female-dominated society that worship the goddess was overpowered by barbarians who created the modern male-dominated state and worship of male gods. It just seems too convenient for feminist and other leftist ideologies. And I just don't see the evidence for it.

Astarte and related goddesses were worshiped all over the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, but that didn't mean those cultures weren't dominated by male rulers and they also worshiped male gods. I'm thinking of Phoenicia, Ugarit, Babylonia and, yes, Cyprus.

[gleeaikin]

By the time the societies you mention were active the change had already started or was fully in place. The goddesses had generally been reduced to consort status. The argument is based on the evidence that when excavations are made of the middle European sites from 6,000 to 4,000 BC. female figurines outnumber male about 9 to 1.

Thirty years ago I saw an article in the National Geographic about excavations in Bulgaria. The pottery that was from 5,000 BC was beautiful, colorful, creative and interesting. Pottery from 3,000 BC was well made but very dull, monochrome and uninteresting. I looked at this and said to myself, “My gosh, what happened to these people to destroy their joy of creativity.” This was long before I learned of the Goddess vs God controversy.

[SunkenCiv]

I love our gleeaikin, but I found that anachronistic feminist golden age claim to be repellent when Gimbutas swilled it out, and all the lesser lights before and since. OTOH, at least "The Descent of Woman" was somewhat entertaining. :') After all, who wouldn't wanna live at the beach? :')

The Scars of Evolution:
What Our Bodies Tell Us
About Human Origins
by Elaine Morgan

"The most remarkable aspect of Todaro's discovery emerged when he examined Homo Sapiens for the 'baboon marker'. It was not there... Todaro drew one firm conclusion. 'The ancestors of man did not develop in a geographical area where they would have been in contact with the baboon. I would argue that the data we are presenting imply a non-African origin of man millions of years ago.'"