E focuses only on the very end of the passage- the part which covers analyses from other parts of womens' history that could prove to be fruitful. This suggestion that other methods could be helpful is a secondary point, added on after the author has made their main point which comes in the second paragraph. The author only briefly mentions other possible avenues of exploration, the main focus of the passage is on the limitations of the historical record and of the ways that historians have examined the subject, and the existing body of work that has sprung up using new methods to supplement that record.
I think the right answer is actually B, as the author seems to think the issue lies not just in the historical record, but also in how historians have studied the topic.
