> Even your common peasant farmer man would likely spend a significant amount of time out in the field at lunchtime where the women are not around and so would have to fend for themselves for their lunch.
Womem were in the fields. And kids too. Generally men were doing physically most demanding work, but not all of it is like that.
And people working in the fields would also take the food that does not necessitate cooking with them. And kids were tasked to bring food to people working in fields when necessary.
You cant "fend for yourself" in the fields and also do the fields work.
> And textile production was a major activity (indeed, the major activity) for probably around 40% of the population in most pre-modern societies – not merely almost all adult women, but girls too would start spinning and weaving (spinning in particular, again, we’ll get there) at very early ages. Consequently, spinning thread may have been the single most frequently performed work-task in the ancient world
Sure women did get to the fields at times. How much did vary by culture. However there is very good reason (pregnancy and nursing) that most cultures had men's and women's work as separate things. That separation often resulted in men and women being separated by long enough that men would really want to cook their own meals instead of eating a packed meal.
> You cant "fend for yourself" in the fields and also do the fields work.
That depends greatly on what you mean by fend for yourself. You wouldn't be a gatherer, but you could cook a quick meal over a fire, maybe throw some fresh herbs in the pot if you happened to see any.
Spinning and weaving does not exclude your presence in the field when that seasonal work is required. Nor does cooking or childcare or house animals care. Also, that article is not about medieval times.
> However there is very good reason (pregnancy and nursing) that most cultures had men's and women's work as separate things.
I did not said women and men did the same things. I said women were in the fields. That should be uncontroversial considering we have medieval drawings of women working in the fields and historical literature lists field work women were involved in or responsible for (harvesting, planting plants, removing weeds, other similar work).
> That separation often resulted in men and women being separated by long enough that men would really want to cook their own meals instead of eating a packed meal.
We are talking about medieval farm and peasants field work. Even if it was only a man in that field, he was separated for a day and within walking distance. There is zero reason to cook food if you can pack it or if a kid can bring it to you.
> You wouldn't be a gatherer, but you could cook a quick meal over a fire, maybe throw some fresh herbs in the pot if you happened to see any.
Starting fire without matches is not quick. Cooking over fire that you just started is not quick. And it requires you to carry pot and raw food there, dirty one back. You don't do quick meal over a fire in the field from raw materials and have no logical reason to.
Until the Industrial Revolution, there was nothing even close to what we nowadays call "childhood". As children became old enough to walk by themselves, they'd accompany their parents and help with weeding & cultivation.
Apparently we are in the scenario where one parent is on the field and other at home. At home parent could and would tell their 5-11 years old to take the food to the other parent and other field workers. Yes they worked and had chores. They were fully suitable for taking food from place a to place b. They also herded animals by themselves or took care of younger siblings.
> Until the Industrial Revolution, there was nothing even close to what we nowadays call "childhood".
That has nothing to do with what I wrote. The 5-11 years old people existed.
Womem were in the fields. And kids too. Generally men were doing physically most demanding work, but not all of it is like that.
And people working in the fields would also take the food that does not necessitate cooking with them. And kids were tasked to bring food to people working in fields when necessary.
You cant "fend for yourself" in the fields and also do the fields work.