Press Release: HIDDEN WOMEN
Palo Alto, California.
Lexicus Press announces publication of HIDDEN WOMEN:
A History of Europe
Celts and Freedom.
New finds
call for another look at women in European history. Ever more convincingly,
buried treasures show that Europe’s ancient Celts valued females in ways that
later empires did not. Archaeology is
uncovering vast differences between these family-centric populations and the
Roman Empire that fueled its expansion by conquest, occupation and enslavement
of Celtic peoples. Over the past 2000
years, institutionalized sexism has carried Rome’s elitist male domination all
the way to the present.
Along with the riches that have been
found in women’s burial chambers, excavations across the continent reveal a
surprising consistency in technological capabilities, communication and trade networks
of Iron Age Celts. Ancient tombs and treasure troves throughout Great Britain,
Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria,
Slovenia give insights into a formerly vibrant culture that is no longer
recognized.
Hidden Women brings vantage views into this wealthy,
productive, nature- loving, Iron Age civilization.
“Tracking pre-Christian ancestors
has revolutionized our understanding of Europe and woven together loose threads
that have made no sense,” according to Jacqueline Widmar Stewart. “The greatest bonus is that we now feel
connected all over Europe - wherever we travel, we are at home. We hope that the book will give readers the
same sense of a rich, pan-European heritage - and help give Celts their due.”
Other books
by Jacqueline Widmar Stewart:
Parks and Gardens in
Greater Paris,
Parcs et jardins de
Paris et ses environs - English and French language editions, and Champagne Regained - all three published
by Edition Axel Menges, Stuttgart;
Finding Slovenia, published
by Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana and
The Glaciers’ Treasure
Trove, published by Lexicus Press, Palo Alto.
The author
is a graduate of the University of Colorado and the University of Michigan
where she received degrees in the French and German languages. She earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree
from Stanford Law School. European
studies include a classics program in Athens, Greece, German language at the
University of Bonn in Germany and Slovenian language at the University of
Ljubljana in Slovenia.
5 x 8
inches. 180 pp, 101 full-color images. 6 poems.
Available
on Amazon, both in e-book and in paperback.
ISBN 978-0-9727484-1-4.
$9.95.
ISBN 978-1-9735597-4-0. $24.95.
Questions and Answers
HIDDEN WOMEN: A History
of Europe, Celts and Freedom
By Jacqueline Widmar Stewart
Why
is this book important? What does it tell us that we didn’t already
know?
This book analyzes the causes of sexism in a new way, from the vantage point of
knowing that 2000 years ago women were revered in society.
Another revelation is that before Europe was divided it was connected.
Knowing that makes it possible to detect who benefited from chopping up the
continent.
A third reason is the sense of relief at knowing that our ancestors were not
roving ravagers clubbing each other. We have just scratched the surface
in determining the scope of innovation and achievement in the Iron Age.
With scientific advances. discoveries are possible on a scale that has been
unthinkable in the past.
Why
did you write this book? How did the book come about?
You have to understand my background. All four
of my grandparents immigrated from Slovenia. How they could they leave
this enchanted land? I’ve tried to figure it out through law, language
and literature, architecture, archaeology and genetics.
What
literary devices do you use to convey your ideas?
In HIDDEN WOMEN, I’ve used an ancient technique of Boethius and Petronius
called prosimetric which combines prose and poetry. Photographs carry the
narrative, perhaps even better than words.
Celts
in Europe? Weren’t they in Ireland?
Celts are in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England but they
were all over Europe too. France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, Hungary, Slovenia. Finds from the Iron Age demonstrate the vast
territories inhabited by Celtic people because they carried the technology of
making iron and steel across Europe.
This
book spans thousands of years and an entire continent. Isn’t that too
much to take on?
I consider this approach to be essential. By looking across many
lands and centuries, consistencies emerge that would not be noticeable on a
smaller scale, This becomes all the more critical in the absence of
the entire secular record.
What’s
been the biggest surprise from conducting your research?
My biggest surprise is the beauty of the Iron Age world. I have always
loved medieval tapestry and illuminated manuscripts, and I see that our
ancestors shared those passions for nature-based art too.
Who
stands most to gain from your findings?
Of course, women will benefit, but so will society as a whole. Our values
have been knocked so far out of whack for so long. Once family reassumes
its place as the highest priority, everyone across the board will benefit, but
especially the children.
