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Expanding the canon: Lady K'abel the Ix Kaloomte ’ and the political narratives of classic Maya Queens
Author(s) -
NavarroFarr Olivia C.,
Kelly Mary Kate,
Rich Michelle,
Pérez Robles Griselda
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
feminist anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2643-7961
DOI - 10.1002/fea2.12007
Subject(s) - ruler , reign , parallels , maya , politics , presentism , narrative , period (music) , canon , state (computer science) , history , perspective (graphical) , gender studies , sociology , ancient history , literature , art , law , political science , aesthetics , archaeology , visual arts , mechanical engineering , physics , algorithm , quantum mechanics , engineering , computer science
We consider how a feminist perspective permits appreciation for and reflection on the complex and often understated ways in which Classic‐era (∼CE 250‐80) royal Maya women contributed to processes of statecraft. Our work centers on archaeological and epigraphic evidence for the life of one important royal woman, Ix Kaloomte’ K'abel of Waka’ whose reign was one of the most influential of the Late Classic Period (∼CE 550‐800). In reviewing the lines of evidence which detail her political life as a ruler, we consider parallels with other important royal women of the period. We argue a feminist approach permits working beyond unacknowledged presentist biases to consider the ways in which these women actively crafted state politics alongside their male counterparts.