When God Was a Woman: The Landmark Exploration of the Ancient Worship of the Great Godess and the Eventual Suppression of Women's Rites
Merlin Stone1976

Here, archaeologically documented, is the story of the religion of the Goddess. Under her, women's roles were far more prominent than in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Stone describes this ancient system and, with its disintegration, the decline in women's status. Index, maps and illustrations.