The article under consideration focuses on the archeological findings on the territory of the ancient Maya city, Waka (modern name – El Peru) that is situated in Guatemala’s Laguna del Tigre. The excavations led by the world famous archeologists, like David Freidel, Héctor Escobedo, José Ambrosio Díaz, David Lee, etc., reveal numerous “hidden treasures” that give valuable insights into history, politics, and social life of Waka in particular, and Maya as a civilization in general.
However, the idea of the article by Chris Hardman is not a mere account of the archeological data, it raises the topic of the female status in Maya culture and their political role in Maya state. Hardman describes the contents of the female tombs excavated in Waka. The argument behind this description is that women had access to the ruling and leading positions in Maya society and were assigned with important roles “in battle[s] by conjuring up war Gods and instilling sacred magical power in battle gear”. Moreover, women from royal dynasties were as important as men – this is proved by the discovery of the Maya ritual of genitalia bloodletting that symbolized gender blend of powers instilled in the ruler. Thus, the archeological excavations in Waka prove “that what our culture considers traditional ideas of male-female roles, don’t hold true for Maya royalty.” More research and lab analysis is required to state who belong the tombs in Waka.
The article is a valuable piece on Maya civilization gained from archeological research. It contains a brief, but consistent and deep in its assumptions argument as to gender roles that are an issue of interest for a great scope of intersectional historical, political, and sociological studies. However, a gem of the article is hidden in its final part. The reader is returned back to the rich in nature and history, exotic landscape of Laguna del Tigre and is reminded of the possibility that the treasures hidden there may remain undiscovered due to the devastating activities conducted by the poachers, loggers and other ecologically unconscious humans.
In brief, the article is worth of attention for people who are interested in historical and social studies.
Works Cited
Hardman, Chris. “A Woman Power in the Maya World”. Americas (English Edition). Vol. 60,
No. 3. 2008. …