Page 73 - TINA Dergi Sayi 09

TINA

Maritime Archaeology Periodical

In the Aegean, fisherwomen exist today in Greece cieties that have regular engagement with sea prod-
and Turkey. According to a report published by the ucts . They can help with shell fishing and fishing
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European Commission on women in fishing industry, activities, but they also fish themselves without any
Greece has the biggest proportion (7%) of female em- involvement of adults. The gender division of activ-
ployment in the fisheries . Along the Aegean coast of ities related to marine resources exploitation is im-
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Turkey, the highest rates for fisherwomen are reported posed on children at young ages. For instance, at Hon-
from the district Muğla, primarily in the coastal area da Bay, Philippines, girls and boys gather shellfish,
between Güllük Bay and Datça Peninsula, but our in- sea cucumber, abalone, and stone fish with women in
terview with a fisherman from Troas confirmed that intertidal zones, but, unlike girls, boys are encouraged
fisherwomen exist in northern Aegean as well. Fish- to acquire knowledge of various types of fishing gear
erwomen in the Muğla district (southern Aegean) are used only by men in coral reefs and deep water . In
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involved in both pre- and post-harvest activities and this area, the intertidal zone is considered by every
make a significant economic contribution to their fam- member of the society to be the domain of women,
ilies. They are involved in every step of fishing ex- although men sometimes enter it to collect abalone
cept marketing, because this duty is considered to be and stone fish. Meanwhile, coral reefs and deep water
domain of men. Using mostly long lines and gillnets, are considered to be exclusively a male space .
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these women sail to the sea 197±69 days a year, and To conclude, despite the fact that women and chil-
almost half of them work 240-300 days per annum . dren are missing from artistic representations, con-
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When asked why they are doing this job, 70% of fish- sidering the above-cited historic and ethnographic
erwomen answered to help their husbands, 19% to evidence, it is difficult to completely exclude the pos-
contribute to family income, 6% obligations, and 5% sibility of women and children participating in fishing
for the love of the sea. For 41% of the women, the best activities in the prehistoric Aegean. In our opinion,
part of fishing was reported as “being with nature,” any reconstruction of the social sphere of shellfishing
however almost none of them advised their children and fishing needs to consider the possible involve-
to be fishermen . It is only a matter of time before all ment and active engagement of diverse status, gender,
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small-scale fishing families disappear from this region. and age groups. The exclusion of women and children
Unfortunately, because there has been no gender-based from artistic imagery in the prehistoric Aegean may
record for fishing from Turkey, we cannot make infer- indicate that their labor input was taken for granted.
ences about the history of fisherwomen in this area. Perhaps, there was a space division based on gender
But their presence encourages us consider the potential in the prehistoric Aegean similar to that of the Philip-
labor input of fisherwomen in the past and prehistory. pines, with offshore seascapes perceived exclusively
Children also learn fishing from a young age in so- as a male space.

92 HArPEr et al. 2013, 57-60.
93 ZHAO et al. 2013, 69-70.
94 GÖNCÜOĞLU – ÜNAL 2011, 1013.
95 GÖNCÜOĞLU – ÜNAL 2011, 1015.
96 GÖNCÜOĞLU – ÜNAL 2011, 1016.
97 SIAr 2003.

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