Social and economic status of non-court women in the Achaemenid period

From the beginning of human life, women worked alongside men for livelihood. As life became more complex, especially with the formation of local governments and then the great kingdom which led to the division of labor among different sections of society, women also played a role in this new life in different ways. With the formation of the great Achaemenid Empire and the expansion of economic activities that required more labor, women alongside men, became more active in economic activity. Much has been written about the status of women, especially the political, social, and economic activities of court women during the Achaemenid period, but no coherent work has been done about the socio-economic role of lower-class women in this period. Therefore, based on Persepolis inscriptions and other ancient sources and with a descriptive-analytical approach, using the method of historical studies, in this research an attempt has been made to study the status and socio-economic activities of the lower-class women in Achaemenid period. In other words, this study seeks to answer the fundamental question of whether women of the lower classes of Achaemenid society participated in socio-economic activities and in which kind of occupation they were mostly engaged in. Evidence shows that in parallel with men, they were active in the social and economic activities of society and worked in various occupations, in many cases and based on their skills, they received equal wages as men.