Early Man Was a Woman

In the canon of media about prehistory, men are the constant focal point, depicted hunting, striking flint, or painting caves. Yet nearly all of the images that depict humans, left to us by prehistoric humans themselves, are depictions of women. What kind of societies were these that portrayed women so centrally, and what can they tell us about the ways in which our perception of gender has evolved—or devolved?Building on years of research, Ulli Lust crafts a vastly scaled graphic history about the beginnings of art, the evolution of womanhood, and the importance of empathy for the survival of our species. Going back to the beginning of humanity, Lust draws on scientific findings in archaeology, anthropology, art history, and her own lived experience to illustrate how the role of women in human history has remained largely invisible.In her signature style of intricate illustrations and comprehensive storyboards, Ulli Lust breaks down long-entrenched beliefs and unearths a fresh approach to the intersection of culture and gender, depicting a time in which the hero’s journey was a group effort that could only be completed together—by women, men, children, and even nonbinary people in roles that run the gamut of human experience.