Saturday, May 25, 2024, the Himpunan Mahasiswa Arkeologi (HIMA) of UGM, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, held a webinar titled “Dialogue Space 2024 on Gender Archaeology” with the sub-theme “Gender Studies Based on Archaeological Findings,” open to the public. The webinar was moderated by Haybah Shabira and featured two distinguished speakers: Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A., an archaeology lecturer at UGM, and Tyassanti Kusumo Dewanti, M.A., an archaeology researcher at Pura Mangkunegaran, both of whom have extensive experience and contributions in the field of gender archaeology. The event aims to enhance the knowledge of archaeology students and the general public regarding the roles and divisions of labor in society during the past, both for men and women, in their daily lives across social, economic, or political spheres. These studies are reviewed based on archaeological findings, including reliefs, inscriptions, or ancient manuscripts.
The session began with opening remarks from the Advisor of HIMA UGM, Drs. Musadad, M.Hum., who emphasized the importance of gender studies in archaeological discoveries and their role and responsibilities within society. The first presentation was delivered by Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A., as an introduction and opening material to gain a deeper understanding of gender archaeology in the discovery of archaeological remains. The next presentation was delivered by Tyassanti Kusumo Dewanti, M.A., explaining previous research on the position and role of women in history, dominance and power relations in 9th and 10th century Java, as well as evidence of women’s roles based on findings in inscription texts. After the presentations ended, a question and answer session was opened to webinar participants.
It is hoped that this Dialogue Space Webinar can serve as a platform for the general public and archaeology students to discuss and learn about the issues in archaeology, and be beneficial for aspiring archaeologists when facing similar challenges.
