What role do women play in the Mesoamerican Olmec civilization?

Question

Knowing this will probably give me a better understanding of this ancient society.

In the question, by "role", I mainly mean what their importance is in the civilization. For example:

Are womens' rights very restricted?

Do they mainly care for children like stay-at-home wives?

Can they take on jobs? and what kinds?

Are they respected?

Answer 1

Most people in pre-industrial civilisations did not have what we think of as 'jobs'.  That is, they don't work regular hours for fixed wages for employees.  The majority of people in pre-industrial socieities are generally peasant farmers, and caring for the crops and animals are their main 'job'. The Olmecs cultivated maize, and they kept domesticated dogs and turkeys.  It is likely that the women worked in the fields, since women generally do in primitive agricultural societies, and it is also likely that they would have taken care of the dogs and turkeys, looking after the poultry is another job traditionally done by women in pre-industrial societies.

I don't know what the Olmecs made their clothes from, but in other mesoamerican societies, spinning and weaving were done by women, as is usual practice worldwide, and it was probably the same for the Olmecs.

The division between 'home' and 'work' that we think of as normal is not normal in pre-industrial societies, they tend to overlap much more than they do in industrialised societies.  They would certainly have done more than cook and take care of the kids, but they probably mostly didn't have 'jobs' as such (neither would most of the men).

There were obviously a great many specialist craftsmen among the Olmecs, because of the number of beautiful artifacts that survive from that era, but we have no way of knowing whether or not women participated in crafts of these kind.  However, pottery is another craft that is often practiced by women in agricultural societies, and it is quite likely that some of the pottery artefacts that have survived were made by women.

Since the Olmecs were evidently a highly stratified society, like most other mesoamerican cultures, some women would probably have been servants to the upper classes.  These societies generally seem to have been ruled by men, as is normal in all societies, and the Olmecs were probably the same.  They may have had priestesses, since women in other mesoamerican societies seem to have sometimes performed this role.

How respected they were we  can't really know, but in most societies throughout history women have generally been considered to be subordinate to men, and it is likely that this was the same among the Olmecs.  However, the amount of respect you were accorded would also depend on your class, a woman of the ruling class would certainly be regarded as superior to a man of a lower class.

Answer 2

A ham and chesse roll with mustard or what ever you prefer. that not important , they made themselves objects , not my idear

Answer 3

I don't know too much about the Olmecs, but I know that in the Aztec civilization, women were family people. Didn't do much other than cook and care for the kids.

Answer 4

Not a whole lot is known about the Olmecs, compared to other Mesoamerican peoples. What I can tell you is, from what we can SEE of their religious beliefs, such as statues, figurines, et cetera is that that they were probably a male centered society (no female examples that I know of). We don't know a whole lot about how they lived their lives, but I would gather that women mainly did as you say, take care of children. I would venture to guess that they also had an active role in agriculture, and light foraging, and that the men were in charge of hunting as they're more expendable.

Answer 5

This question MAY belong in the anthropology section, but it looks like you are confused as to whether this is an ancient/extinct or a modern civilisation.  If its a modern civilisation/society then your question belongs in the sociology section.

I won't give the secret away

That would spoil the ending.