The role of women in ancient societies Throughout ancient history, the role of women in their respective societies has varied from one culture to another . Some cultures viewed women as equals. Others considered women inferior. I will explore the roles these women played in ancient society. Some of our earliest known ancestors were hunter-gatherers. These individuals were constantly on the move in search of food and supplies. Because of this nomadic lifestyle, each person played an equally vital role in survival, regardless of gender. Men were generally seen as hunters and women as gatherers. Fast forward to 5900 BCE in Mesopotamia and things started to look very different. The rights of women in Mesopotamia were not equal to those of men. However, at first, women were free to go to the market, own and sell property, take care of the legal affairs of their absent men, and engage in business for themselves. Women of higher status, such as priestesses and members of royal families, could be taught to read and write and given considerable administrative authority. Various powerful goddesses were worshiped, and in some cities they were the main deities. However, women's position varied between cities and changed over time. In Egypt, women enjoyed unusual freedoms, rare in ancient times. Men and women had the rights to own and sell property, enter into contracts, defend themselves and testify, marry and divorce, and bring their disputes to court. Married couples could own property jointly and protect themselves from divorce by entering into prenuptial contracts stipulating the husband's financial obligations to his wife and children in the event of marriage breakdown. Women were not allowed to... middle of paper ... we can say that women's rights progressed in some societies only to regress in the next. However, overall, I would say that women's rights have improved up to the present day. Hatshepsut was pharaoh of Egypt from 1479 to 1458. She received the power of pharaoh from her brother, Thutmose II, who was also her husband. Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, was the founder of Zoroastrianism; belief in a god. Alexander, also known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Greek kingdom of Macedonia. His conquests of the Persian Empire and Egypt created a new Hellenistic world. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher. A student of Plato, his philosophy was based on the rational analysis of the material world. The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue, are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship that play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity..