Mayan Gender Divide: Analysis of Yaxchilán’s Lintels in Structure 23 
Archaeology and Prehistory 

        The role of women within Ancient Mayan civilizations extended further than childrearing and propelling culture forward through generations. While there were not many prominent women depicted in Mayan culture, there have been representations of Ancient Mayan women throughout archaeological sites in Mesoamerica. Most notably, in Yaxchilán, a Mayan city in Chiapas, Mexico, there are depictions of royal women engaging in sacred traditions and holding roles of power alongside royal men (Brittenham 2017, 36).  An understanding of Mayan gender and women’s roles can be seen within Yaxchilán’s lintels through the comparison of actor representations of Mayan men and women (Brittenham 2007, 8).

 

        The social status of Mayan women can be determined by inscriptions of lintels and how they are depicted in these carvings. Alongside social status and class, art can help to describe the roles that women played within Mayan society. Even in artistic depictions where women are portrayed, it can be difficult to discern if the roles and choices that the women were depicted doing were genuinely feminine. Understanding the portrayal of women in Mayan culture can help to determine if gendered roles were imposed upon them by the ancient Mayan men. These inscribed lintels can help to spur ideas of what Mayan femininity would have looked like during the time of the ancient carvings.