What was Maya clothing like?

Cloth was important in Maya society because the type of fabric people wore helped to show how wealthy they were. Historians can examine clues about what people wore to learn about their lives.

Women were the traditional weavers in Maya society. They made cloth by weaving threads over and under each other to create fabric. Cloth‑making was a central part of daily life. Some of the earliest Maya weaving dates back to 1000 - 800BC - cloth had been important for a very long time.

In Maya society cloth also played an important part in religious beliefs and art.

• The Maya weavers worked mainly with cotton, which had to be washed and picked clean of seeds. This was hard work!

• Cotton was associated with richer people.

• The cotton was often dyed to make multi-coloured clothes.

• Dyes were made of insects, shellfish, indigo and plants.

• Richer women worked with feathers and pearl beads. They had to learn to weave tapestries and brocade (a rich decorated fabric).

• Men typically wore a loincloth around the waist with sometimes a cotton sleeveless shirt.

• Women wore a huipil, a loose-fitting tunic with an opening for the head and arms, or a traje which reached to the floor, held in a place by a faja, or sash.

• The huipil and traje are still worn today in Mexican culture.

• Men and women wore sandals, the farmers wore moccasins.

• Many women wore their hair long and in braids.

• The priests and nobles wore decorative items such as jewellery.

• Jewellery could be made from jade, wood or bone.

• The deities (gods) were identified by their clothing and so were the humans imitating their appearance.

• The Maize god was an example of this, who wore a netted overskirt made of green jade beads and a belt made of shell.

• The Maize god was represented by kings and queens.

Archaeologists have learnt about different Maya clothing by looking at decorated pottery and wall paintings.

The way Maya people weaved was also passed on from one generation to the next.

This passed on knowledge, and discovery of artefacts, have helped archaeologists and historians understand what the ancient Maya may have worn and how they made their clothing.

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

• How do you think the discovery of decorated pottery and wall paintings helped archaeologists understand what Maya people wore?

• The ancient Maya wore clothes that helped show who was rich or poor. What effect do you think this had on Maya people and their society?

• Some Maya clothing is still worn today. What does this tell you about the importance of Maya clothing and how it has kept Maya culture alive today?

Let's find out what you know about Maya clothing in this quiz.

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