Question 1
A student writes: 'The Inca had no writing system, so their empire lacked sophisticated administrative record-keeping compared to the Maya.' Which response best evaluates this claim for a Paper 3 essay?No clue? Show me the answer
Correct answerCorrect!
IncorrectStep-by-step walkthrough
Choose a solution method
Method #1Direct reasoningStep 1: Identify the claim being tested
The claim equates absence of writing with absence of sophisticated record-keeping, conflating two distinct concepts.
Step 2: Apply the quipu evidence
Quipus used knotted, coloured strings in a base-ten positional code read by trained quipucamayocs to track census, tribute, and storehouse inventories.
Step 3: Interpret the functional distinction
Record-keeping should be judged by what it enabled the state to do, not by whether it resembles alphabetic writing.
Step 4: Select the accurate evaluation
Option B correctly identifies that the claim is flawed because quipus provided real administrative capacity despite lacking a written script.
Method #2Process of eliminationStep 1: Eliminate A
Quipus recorded far more than religious content, including census and tribute figures, so A misstates their function.
Step 2: Eliminate C
While oral record-keepers (quipucamayocs) existed, they worked with the physical quipu device, not through memory alone.
Step 3: Eliminate D
There is no evidence the Inca adapted Maya hieroglyphics; the two societies developed entirely separate systems.
Step 4: Compare remaining option
Option B directly addresses the common mistake of conflating 'no writing' with 'no record-keeping.'
Step 5: Confirm the answer
B is the only option that accurately evaluates the claim using the quipu system's real function.
Question 2
A Paper 3 essay argues that Maya glyphs and Inca quipus served fundamentally the same social function despite their different forms. Which explanation best supports this argument?No clue? Show me the answer
Correct answerCorrect!IncorrectStep-by-step walkthrough
Choose a solution method
Method #1Direct reasoningStep 1: Identify the shared function
The question asks what Maya glyphs and Inca quipus had in common beneath their different physical forms.
Step 2: Apply evidence on training
Maya glyphs required trained scribes and priests; quipus required trained quipucamayocs, both restricting interpretation to specialists.
Step 3: Interpret the political effect
Restricting literacy or interpretive skill to a trained elite reinforced the authority of rulers and priests over recorded information.
Step 4: Select the matching option
Option B captures this shared elite-control function across both systems.
Method #2Process of eliminationStep 1: Eliminate A
Neither system was widely accessible; both required specialized training reserved for a narrow class.
Step 2: Eliminate C
Glyphs recorded religion, history, and astronomy, and quipus recorded numerical administrative data, not primarily oral poetry.
Step 3: Eliminate D
Neither system was abandoned in favour of oral tradition; both remained in active use within their respective societies.
Step 4: Compare against evidence
Only B is supported by the described concentration of literacy among scribes and quipucamayocs.
Step 5: Confirm the answer
B is correct because it explains the shared function of restricted, elite-controlled recording systems.