REVIEWS
Named one of Library Journal's Best Books of 2000
"In her most recent book, 'The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory,' Ms. Eller considers the evidence from the
building blocs of the gynocratic interpretation [of prehistory]—ethnographic, archaeological, artistic and
cultural—and pulverizes each, in turn, calmly and efficiently. Her tone is always judicious, although her
deadpan wit can be quite devastating. . . . Ms. Eller—herself a white, middle-class, well-educated
westerner—is also a feminist. But she believes that expounding a fictional past will only hurt women in the
long run."—The Wall Street Journal
"Eller carefully clips every thread from which this matriarchal myth is woven. . . . but she refuses to wax
glum. She emphasizes that all studies of sex differences have shown the overlap between the sexes to be
enormous and the genuine differences to be too tiny to hamstring us forever. And a future that offers
greater visibility, power and status to women will be a better place for all, she suggests—not because
women ar enicer or less destructive than men, but because that future is just."—The New York Times
"This bold and provocative book marshals archaeological evidence to demonstrate that [the] gynocentric
vision is a myth, and a pernicious one at that. . . . Eller's previous book, Living in the Lap of the
Goddess: the Feminist Spirituality Movement in America, sympathetically described women's spiritual
quests for self-validation and empowerment. Her new work affirms these goals while cautioning feminists
against letting their fantasies about a past matriarchy distract them from taking real steps to end patriarchy
today. Passionately argued, engagingly written, this vital book is certain to inspire wide—and muchneeded—debate."—Publisher's Weekly
"This is a short book that will make tall waves. Coming from someone with Eller's feminist credentials, it
constitutes an incisive and devastating critique of all facets of matriarchal feminism. This book is as much
about factions within feminism and the best way to achieve ultimate feminist goals as it is about the myth
of prehistoric matriarchies. . . . This is some of the best writing that I have read in a long time."—Brian
Hayden, The Pomegranate
"Now that this book is published, the whole subject is moved forward decisively at last, for the first time in
a quarter of a century."—Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan
Witchcraft
NEGATIVE REVIEWS
Max Dashu, "Knocking Down Straw Dolls: A Critique of Cynthia Eller's The Myth of Matriarchal
Prehistory"
Marguerite Rigoglioso, "Women's Spirituality Scholars Speak Out: A Report on the 7th Annual Gender &
Archaeology Conference at Sonoma State"
Joan Marler, "The Myth of Universal Patriarchy: A Critical Response to Cynthia Eller's Myth of
Matriarchal Prehistory"
Kristy Coleman, "Matriarchy and Myth"
RESPONSES
Response to Max Dashu
Response to Rigoglioso and Marler
Response to Kristy Coleman