Yes, I concur with this assertion. I believe the Paleolithic claims have been substantiated by archaeological evidence, and I believe the early Christian claims have been substantiated by historical-critical study of the New Testament and the first few generations of the Jesus movement.

Thanks, Kirk.

I do think the role of women in the early church was immense.

couldn't agree with you more, and, of course, Marx was correct. Ownership of property stretches to ownership of others, and, quite rightly I think to colonialism. I didn't know that Marx had noted that.

The considerable part that women played in early Christianity was because I suspect the movement was new, there was little hierarchy, greater freedom of expression.

Nevertheless, it can't be conclusive, as Inanna's power and influence continued up to Venus, and, along with Isis into the Virgin Mary within Abrahamic cultures. There have been many influential queens, often ruling alone. Before Muhammed, an Arabian queen lead an army against the Byzantines.

Peter you have I think combined practice and intention here, which is good. My recent research, which I need to check up on again through a few more recent investigations, indicates that in Palestine/Canaan a female deity prevailed. I have also seen indication of that in Arabia. In the latter history may more recently have been manipulated on this issue, as the indications go very deep. Certainly, also the female deity may have been incremental in early Israel, simply written out by 500 BCE by returning Temple scribes.

I do not think the influence of women in society has been "suppressed" as much as it has failed to be "expressed" beyond the home. In most poor cultures (that is, most of the cultures of recorded history) women could do most for their families in the home. There were few opportunities outside the home that made better use of her time.

That women are now more valuable to their families outside of the home rather than in it, is a recent development.

Throughout most of history there have been two worlds. The world of our families inside our homes and ruled by moms and the world outside the home of "society" dominated by men.

But most of our lives and our loves have been spent INSIDE our homes. Mothers and wives have been instrumental and invaluable players in the personal histories of every person alive.

Moms celebrate their own holidays --- the anniversary of marriages and the birthdays of children.

Moms everywhere and everyday have enormous influenza on all of us and we all know it. But because her activities are often not SOCIAL or recorded by HISTORIANS we imagine she is not there. That females are missing from written histories, but are dominant in the histories of each and every person alive.

It suggests that females are not influential because they focus on influencing INDIVIDUALS rather than GROUPS. It is more than a coincidence that most of the GREAT MEN of history were all closer to their mothers than their fathers including:

Napoleon William Randolph Hearst

Jesus Adolf Hitler

Abraham Lincoln J. Edgar Hoover

Ronald Reagan Elvis Presley

Bill Clinton Harry Houdini

Women are of two kinds: Masculine Women and Feminine Women. MW behave like men and they attract many men as friends. They are true leaders when they are born from a noble family. They are rebellious when they are from humble background. These masculine women have been identified as heroines of the past and as victims of patriarchal system of classical society. Nowadays, fundamental human rights, democracy and education have help these MW to realize their suppressed degree of Romanticism from ages. These romantics are now the feminists you see in different disciplines. Of, course, some have to pay the price of being without a husband, changing marriages, raising children out of marriage... Feminine women have patience to cope with men's inclination to be oppressive. FW are the ladies you see dancing in music videos, parading themselves to entertain men and work as prostitutes. The clear difference is that MW use their brain to make money while FW make use of their body.