the Prehistoric humans They faced a life of survival and physical strength. Traditional image assigned to Men hunt large animals and women do household chores. It dominated popular interpretation for decades. However, archaeological and ethnographic evidence shows this Both genders share basic skills pSurvive in a hostile environment.
Dangerous animals, such as mammoths, woolly rhinos or big cats, require speed, agility and endurance. WhichHis qualities were not limited to menBut the common conditions of all populations being able to move, climb, or dive in search of food, promoted a less rigid organization than had been thought.
Ancient societies shared effort and physical skills
The evolutionary study was published in 2025 under the supervision of George Brill He expanded this view by analyzing the costs and benefits of movement in hunter-gatherer societies. The team proposed that every run, dive or climb involves a judgment between energy expended and reward gained.
The researchers noted that land travel, although very expensive, can provide significant caloric benefits from prolonged hunting. In contrast, a short climb to get honey or fruit requires little effort but carries a high risk of a fatal fall. This evolutionary logic also influenced social success: skill in racing or diving could determine mate choice or access to leadership within each group.
Direct observation of current societies allowed us to verify the persistence of these behaviors in different settings. In the Pacific Ocean, Bajau women spend hours underwater collecting fish just like men. In Central Africa, among the Mbuti tribe, both sexes climb trees more than 20 meters high to search for honey. In Arctic regions, Inuit women engage in long-distance movements during hunting expeditions. In Tierra del Fuego, Yamana women were skilled swimmers and divers, going so far as to help men suffering from hypothermia while hunting. These cases document a shared physical engagement that is more consistent with cooperation than with the sexual division of tasks.
The Cambridge study showed a global pattern of mobility
Work led by Brill from the University of Cambridge focused on this idea. team Examined more than 900 ethnographic records of hunter-gatherer societies They found a pattern of physical activity distributed between genders. The data showed thatBoth men and women practice hiking, running, climbing, swimming and diving.with a similar level of skill. It only appears in certain situations, such as climbing the tallest trees or deep diving Differences favor men for cultural reasons or extreme risk. The authors summarize their conclusion in one sentence: “High levels of movement diversity are common and generally egalitarian.”
The subsequent report published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Expanding the initial results. She emphasized that diverse mobility, whether on land, water or trees, is a universal feature among hunter-gatherer societies, regardless of temperature or ecosystem. Moreover, Physical activities had value beyond simply obtaining food.
Running, climbing and swimming were part of rituals, games or martial practices, indicating the presence of a The broad cultural dimensionn about movement. According to the authors, human locomotor behavior is based on a stable bipedal form for two million years, but with a great ability to adopt different postures and movements according to needs.
The conclusions regarding equality in physical activity open a debate on the historical interpretation of the role of women in prehistoric times. The comparative analysis shows that mathematical ability did not depend on gender, but on the environmental context and economic function of each work. In the societies Brill and his team studied, mobility served to feed themselves and strengthen group cohesion. The research indicates that movement was the basis for survival Women participated in it with the same force as men.