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HEADWEAR OF MAYANS, AZTECS, AND INCAS
riors wore their hair in ponytails and often grew scalplocks, long locks of hair that were singled out in a decorated braid or ponytail. Courtesans, or women who were companions to warriors, wore their hair cut short at the nose level, dyed with black mud, and shined with an indigo dye. Both Inca men and women valued long hair. Long hair was so important in Inca society that cutting the hair was considered a punishment for some crimes. Inca women rarely cut their hair and wore it neatly combed, parted it in the middle, and sometimes twisted it into two long braids secured with brightly colored woolen bands. Some women tied colorful bands around their foreheads. Wealthy Inca women covered their heads with cumbi cloth, a richly woven fabric, folded in a specific way to sit on top of the head. Inca men wore their dark hair long in the back with a fringe of bangs across their foreheads. FOR MORE INFORMATION
Aztecs: Reign of Blood and Splendor. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1992. Bray, Warwick. Everyday Life of the Aztecs. New York: Putnam, 1968. Cobo, Bernabé. Inca Religion and Customs. Translated and edited by Roland Hamilton. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1990. Day, Nancy. Your Travel Guide to Ancient Mayan Civilization. Minneapolis, MN: Runestone Press, 2001. Drew, David. Inca Life. New York: Barron’s, 2000. Netzley, Patricia D. Maya Civilization. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2002. Wood, Tim. The Aztecs. New York: Viking, 1992.
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FASHION, COSTUME, AND CULTURE