Women played a significant role in Maya culture and began to wield power much earlier than previously thought by archaeologists.
Researchers working in Guatemala have uncovered a stela depicting a powerful woman in ancient Maya civilization. “The 2-meter tall stela features a portrait of a woman who may have been a leader or a goddess,” said Kathryn Reese-Taylor, a professor at the University of Calgary.
This stela dates back to the 4th century AD, which is 200 years earlier than previously discovered stelae depicting powerful Maya women.
“We have images of queens, independent rulers, or those who ruled alongside their husbands or sons depicted on stelae from later periods in Maya history, starting in the early 6th century. However, this newly discovered stela is entirely unique in style and dates back to the 4th century BC,” Reese-Taylor explained. “It is remarkable in that it portrays a woman from very early in Maya history, at a time when cities were just being established and a new empire was being formed.”
Archaeologists found the stela—typically used to depict events in the lives of kings—at Naachtun, located more than 90 kilometers north of the more famous ancient city of Tikal.
It was buried within an ancient structure, and some inscriptions have been erased, indicating that the stela was likely destroyed during an invasion by the Tikal army in the late 5th century.
The name of the woman on the stela is translated as Lady Partition Lord. A newborn child was also buried alongside the stela.
Researchers do not believe that Maya culture was matriarchal, but they do think that women played an important role from the early stages of societal development.
M.T. (ABC Online)
