Although not much is known about prehistoric man or woman, I have to imagine that the struggle to stay alive alone must have occupied all of early man's time , both day and night. Based on this thought, it's hard for me to imagine how roles outside of the core task of survival would have been divided by gender. Both women and men probably foraged for edibles and probably hunted together in pairs, I imagine. Since the groups were small, I imagine the roles were divided evenly. As groups became larger, more organized, and more advanced in agriculture, gender roles likely became more important. In early times, a woman's primary role was to bear children and maintain the domestic environment, whether a cave, mud hut, or other structure. Like women today, they were probably physically weaker than men. This, most likely, was the beginning of the division of roles. The women stayed close to their camp, growing food, giving birth, and raising children while the men hunted. “Despite the enormous progress women have made in recent decades, it is suspected that many men – and women – look back on the long and unbroken history of male dominance and privately still suspect (or firmly hold the belief) that women are biologically inferior ." (2000, McElvaine, Robert S.; Eve's Seed: Biology, the Sexes, and the Course of Human History, p. 10 McGraw-Hill; Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc ?id=10152855) In today's world, gender roles still exist and there is a lot of controversy around the topic. I believe that how gender roles are viewed is partly what determines how advanced a society has become people Although today's modern women are somewhat advanced from their pre-1500 roles, further progress is needed to... half of the paper... the overall post volume: to 1500 (1st ed.) New York : McGraw Hill.2.) McElvaine, Robert S., (2000). The seed of Eve: biology, the sexes, and the course of human history. McGraw-Hill Trade3.) Putzi, Sibylla, (2008) Women of the World A to Z in Culture and Business: 175 Countries: Position in Society, Legal Rights, Education, Dating, Marriage and Family, Health, Social Customs, Women in the professions, female entrepreneurs and foreign entrepreneurs. World Trade Press.4.) Ancient Mesopotamia: the role of women. Retrieved from: http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/ED/TRC/MESO/women.html5.) http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/c2wommenna.htm)6. ) http://www.localhistories.org/chineselife.html7.) http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/femaleinfanticide.html8.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/ Jun/30/india-city-widows-discrimination