Scientific American

Woman the Hunter

In 2023, Jen Christiansen, senior graphics editor of Scientific American, hit me up to do an infographic for a story written by anthropologists Cara Ocobock and Sarah Lacy on smashing the myth that only males do the hunting in hunter-gatherer societies. She sent along a brief that included some diagrams:

Jen and I agreed that we wanted an illustration that depicted the humans in action, in situ.

I put together a sketch incorporating the information Jen had sent, including which organs and systems to highlight.

I couldn’t help myself and posed the male in a more “passive” or “fearful” position.

The folks at SciAm thought that might be a bit too much. But Jen responded to the more “submissive” pose, so we decided to try and keep some of that demeanor. We made him tending a fire and carrying the baby, while the woman stands erect, holding her recent kill.

After a little back-and-forth on face, clothes, body shape, etc., this was the final illustration: