Mesoamerican civilization was characterized by a deep division that separated society into two groups: a noble class that largely performed religious, istrative, civil and military leadership tasks, and a plebeian class that engaged in productive labor, such as agriculture and crafts, who paid tribute to the nobility. In addition to this fundamental division into two classes, there were diverse levels that one could access either by inheritance or skill and merit.
The luxury goods that they used had the purpose of publicly expressing or declaring these differences. Earrings were a very important distinguishing feature of rank. Those who used them had to be noble or a brave warrior whose status was equivalent (and in some eras superior) than that of certain nobles. But there were also very considerable differences in the size, material and quality of the manufacture of these earrings, thus expressing the class differences. In other words, a king or a great captain wore more visual earrings of great value whereas a tax collector, who belonged to the lower nobility, had smaller and simpler earrings. Finally, it is worth noting that this ranking, and its expression using luxury goods, must have been complex and detailed in the large cities, and simpler in smaller settlements of less hierarchical communities.
Earrings were large and heavy pieces, capable of deforming the ears, as colonial testimonies confirm. Their weight stretched the earlobe downward and their dimensions left holes that could not be closed again. As these pieces reveal, they are a type of reel, with a narrow tubular part and a large fin that forms a disk. The earring was normally made of two parts that are pressed together. As it would have been impossible to the disk through the ear piercing, the central tube was threaded through before being connected to the counterpart on the other side. Both parts fitted together to assemble the earring.
Jade earrings were incredibly valuable, and they were even carved, for example, with flower designs, which were highly cherished. There were also obsidian and rock crystal earrings, and gold and turquoise inlays were used in the Post-Classic.
The artists and the nobility of Mesoamerica greatly recognized and cherished jade, which came from the deposits of the Motagua River, but they also considered other stones valuable, particularly green ones, such as serpentine and malachite.
Mesoamerican civilization was characterized by a deep division that separated society into two groups: a noble class that largely performed religious, istrative, civil and military leadership tasks, and a plebeian class that engaged in productive labor, such as agriculture and crafts, who paid tribute to the nobility. In addition to this fundamental division into two classes, there were diverse levels that one could access either by inheritance or skill and merit.
