The leaders of the Mayan cities were known as nobles. Nobles had slaves to do all of their hard work for them. This gave them a lot of free time. During this free time, they spent a lot of time on their physical appearance.

Noble men and women wore their hair long. They would braid it or wrap stylishly. They tattooed and painted their bodies. Their clothes were very colorful. The nobles loved tall hats. Some nobles wore hats that were taller than themselves! They also enjoyed wearing a lot of jewelry, including enormous earrings.

Nobles could not be approached by commoners. They never went anywhere in public without a slave holding a cloth in front of their face. Nobles typically were government officials, judges, or other important leaders who brought laws before the crowned ruler of the city for ultimate approval.