Did you know that it was a punishment for a Maya to have his or her hair cut? Both men and women kept their thick, black hair long, although there were differences in the headdresses that were worn. According to an eminent Mayanist archaeologist, Dr. Sylvanus G. Morley, the Mayas displayed great magnificence in their headdresses. The frame was probably made from wicker or wood, shaped in the form of the head of a jaguar, bird, or serpent, or even the head of one of their gods.
In his book “La Civilización Maya”, Dr. Sylvanus G. Morley states that the men burned the top of the head in order to keep it free of hair. Then they braided the rest of the long hair and rolled the braid into a sort of crown, leaving a tail which fell down the back.
