Essay Questions for Thinking through Sources 6

1. Considering art as evidence: What are the strengths and limitations of art as a source of evidence? What other kinds of evidence would you want to discover to further your understanding of the Maya elite?
2. Assessing gender roles: In what ways are women and men depicted in these sources? What might this suggest about their respective roles in the elite circles of Maya society?
3. Making comparisons: How might you compare the life of the Maya elite depicted in these visual sources with that of the Roman elite of Pompeii shown in the Working with Evidence feature in Chapter 5? For a second comparison, consider the similarities and differences of Maya and Axumite civilizations.
4. Considering the values of the historian: What feelings or judgments do these visual sources evoke in you? Which of your values might get in the way of a sympathetic understanding of the Maya elite?