An Examination of Gendered Fire Activity Among Hunter-Gatherer Ethnographies

Abstract

The ability to create and control fire is often considered a cornerstone for modern human adaptability, with some suggesting fire’s potential advantages and social regimens of use being integral to the evolution of our species and the development of gendered division of labor. As a test of this hypothesis, the variable expressions of fire use among ethnographically documented hunter-gatherer populations are examined to determine if aspects of pyrotechnology adhere to patterns of preferentially gendered behavior, particularly regarding ignition, fire maintenance, and fuel acquisition. Statistically significant results for these elements of fire use indicate a widespread pattern of preferentially male ignition activity along with preferentially female fire maintenance and fuel acquisition. These findings indicate gender-based enculturation of fire-related behaviors that are compatible with hunter-gatherer modes of residence and subsistence globally; however, other dimensions of fire use regimes exhibited less evidence of specialization and may have been more easily transmitted as cultural behaviors through unique sub-populations of hominins.