Women ruled from the early Maya period

Women play an important role in Maya culture and begin to hold power from much earlier than archaeologists once thought.

Researchers working in Guatemala have unearthed a stele depicting a powerful woman in ancient Mayan civilization. " The 2-meter stele has a portrait of a woman who could have been a leader or a goddess, " said Kathryn Reese-Taylor, a University of Calgary professor.

The stele dates back to the 4th century AD, 200 years earlier than the steles depicting previously discovered Maya power women.

" We had images of queens, independent rulers or participants with husbands or boys, depicted on later eras from Maya history, beginning in the beginning of the century. 6. But this newly discovered stela is completely unique in style and dates back to the 4th century BC, "Reese-Taylor said. " It's unique in that it depicts a woman from the early age in Maya history, when the new city is being built and the new empire is being established ."

Archaeologists have found a stele - often to describe events in the lives of kings - at Naachtun, about 90 km north of the famous ancient city of Tikal.

It is buried in an ancient building and some inscriptions have been blurred, indicating that the stele was destroyed during an invasion by the Tikal army at the end of the 5th century.

The name of the woman on the beer was translated as Lady Partition Lord. An infant is also buried with a stele.

Researchers do not think that Maya culture follows matriarchy, but believes that women play an important role right from the beginning of social construction.

MT ( ABC Online )