Mayan Women
Mayan women role in society were not limited to raising children, they did much more and they were highly involved in their government and economic stance. They also worked on the textiles which was very important to the Mayan economy. Although labor was not limited for the women their participation in public rituals was limited, they were aloud to prepare any food for the rituals but studies show that many of them were not included in the ritual itself. The lives of these Mayan women were not well documented. Though, there are some texts and remains in which one can learn more about from. Lady K'awil was a powerful leader of a city named Tonina. This is proof that women were involved in politics in ancient socities. Lady K'awil was in power after the failure of two male leaders. Lady K'awil's reign is documented by murals in which depict her seated at her throne. Women also participate in the food economy. Women played a large role in making sure they had an abundant supply for deer meat. In Mesoamerican societies, deer was a essential part of an individual's diet. Evidence shows that women as well as men had to hunt to attain their deer meat. Textiles were an important aspect of ancient Mayan life, and while it is not known whether all women produced textiles, those textiles that were produced were created by women. The objects that women used in the spinning and weaving processes were different, depending on the social class of the women. Noble women had the good fortune to use dye in textiles. Also, the products that were used in the spinning were different; the noble women used higher quality fibres. |
Maya women and her childModern-day Mayan womanMayan women |