Intrepid Women: Adventures in Anthropology

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       August 6, 2025

 

Author  Edited Julia Nicholson,

Distributor:      New South Books
ISBN:                 9781851246502
Publisher:         Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
Release Date:   July 2025  

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Editor of the book Intrepid Women, Adventures in Anthropology Julia Nicholson, has chosen six women who have exceeded in their desires to understand and document their anthropological fieldwork. Their work was carried out from the early 1900’s to 1937.Julia has written about two of these women, one from New Mexico and one from Naga Hills. The extent to which these women compromised their health, safety, physical and mental security is amazing.

Other authors in the book, Intrepid Women, Adventures in Anthropology, have chosen women from Siberia, North America, and Mexico. Four of the women graduated as Oxford trained anthropologists, one survived a shipwreck, and one expected daily to be captured and beheaded by the Japanese army.

Each of the women learned local dialects, and developed relationships, which focussed their attentions on establishing the dignity and humanity of all cultures. Not only did these women face the dangers out in the field, but they were also discriminated against in the University setting.

Professor Hartland told Margaret Murray “That there are many things a woman ought not to know, and he certainly would not allow a woman to attend any of his lectures.” Fortunately, there were also progressive men who realised that to understand a society, one had to understand the role that women played in it, and women were essential to complete that understanding.

A special exhibition held at the Pitt Rivers Museum in 2018 displayed objects which had been collected by five of these women. This included photographs, videos, journals, and many other artifacts. Through these collections, the women have left a legacy for researchers to study. There are many photographs of people, artifacts, documents, and ceremonial regalia in this book which enhances the stories.