#75 | Our Evolutionary Past as Hunters & Gatherers w/ Elena Bridgers

About This Episode

Were hunter gatherers patriarchal or matriarchal?

Neither.

I had the privilege of hosting Elena Bridgers on the show to have a conversation about understanding our evolutionary past as hunter gatherers. Elena is a science writer, content creator and mom of two with a special fascination in hunter-gatherer societies and human evolution, specifically as it relates to motherhood. Elena has published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and major media outlets on these topics, grown an Instagram following from 0 to over 50,000 in just a few months, and is working on a book.

We dove into how motherhood has always been at the heart of societal structures until very recently. What was motherhood like in our evolutionary past? Why does motherhood feel so hard for many women in the modern context? Exploring immediate return tribes versus those who stockpile resources. How much leisure time did our ancestors have? Understanding the beginnings of the warrior class and why were immediate return hunter gatherers serial monogamists? How we’re suffering in the modern world due to lack of communal support and more.

Connect with Elena on instagram here or her substack here

Timestamps:

Intro 00:00 - 06:07 

Our Evolutionary Past 06:07 - 11:17

Hunter vs Gatherer 11:17 - 15:46

Modern Society 15:46 21:20 

Patriarchal Society 21:20 25:42

Male and Female Roles 25:42 32:09

Women and Caretaking 32:09 -37:15

Highlighting Boys and Men 37:16 - 42:11

Outro 42:11 - 43:47 

____________________________________________

If you found some value today then help me spread the word! Share this episode with a friend or leave a review. This helps the podcast grow.

You can also watch the episodes on youtube here

Follow me on Instagram @anyashakh