Power and Gender in Weaving

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Spinning and weaving is an activity that has occurred throughout Mesoamerica in the production of textiles. Throughout the Formative, Classic, and Postclassic Periods and into modern day, textile production has played a large part in the power structure divisions of society and gender roles in Mesoamerica. Remnants of textile production can be seen in the archaeological record in the form of weaving tools, such as spindle whorls. Through the examination of the archaeological record, the symbolism and meaning of the act of weaving can be pieced together for each time period in Mesoamerican history. Over the course of time in Mesoamerica, the meaning of weaving and textile production changed. At its initial stages, archaeologists hypothesize that it was an activity conducted by the elites in society. This trend continues into the Classic Period. The act of weaving, however, changes in the Postclassic Period when the primary producers of fabrics are women regardless of social status. By this time in Mesoamerica, weaving is no longer a symbol of class, but a symbol of gender.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52207