Ethnohistoric documents from sixteenth-century Mexico suggesting that

Question

Ethnohistoric documents from sixteenth-century Mexico suggesting that weaving and cooking were the most common productive activities for Aztec women may lead modern historians to underestimate the value of women's contributions to Aztec society. Since weaving and cooking occurred mostly (but not entirely) in a domestic setting, modern historians are likely to apply to the Aztec culture the modern Western distinction between "private" and "public" production. Thus, the ethnohistoric record conspires with Western culture to foster the view that women's production was not central to the demographic, economic, and political structures in sixteenth-century Mexico.

A closer examination of Aztec culture indicates that treating Aztec women's production in Mexico in such a manner would be a mistake. Even if the products of women's labor did not circulate beyond the household, such products were essential to population growth. Researchers document a tenfold increase in the population of the valley of Mexico during the previous four centuries, an increase that was crucial to the developing Aztec political economy. Population growth — which could not have occurred in the absence of successful household economy, in which women's work was essential — made possible the large-scale development of labor-intensive chinampa (ridged-field) agriculture in the southern valley of Mexico which, in turn, supported urbanization and political centralization in the Aztec capital.

But the products of women's labor did in fact circulate beyond the household. Aztec women wove cloth, and cloth circulated through the market system, the tribute system, and the redistributive economy of the palaces. Cotton mantles served as a unit of currency in the regional market system. Quantities of woven mantles, loincloths, blouses, and skirts were paid as tribute to local lords and to imperial tax stewards and were distributed to ritual and administrative personnel, craft specialists, warriors, and other faithful servants of the state. In addition, woven articles of clothing served as markers of social status and clothing fulfilled a symbolic function in political negotiation. The cloth that was the product of women's work thus was crucial as a primary means of organizing the flow of goods and services that sustained the Aztec state.   1 
 1. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the documents mentioned in the first sentence of the passage?

A. They contain misleading information about the kinds of productive activities Aztec women engaged in.
B. They overlook certain crucial activities performed by women in Aztec society.
C. They provide useful information about the way that Aztec society viewed women.
D. They are of limited value because they were heavily influenced by the bias of those who recorded them.
E. They contain information that is likely to be misinterpreted by modern-day readers.

2 
 2. According to the passage, Aztec women's cloth production enabled Aztec society to do which of the following?

A Expand women's role in agriculture
B Organize the flow of goods and services
C Develop self-contained communities
D Hire agricultural laborers from outside the society
E Establish a higher standard of living than neighboring cultures

3 
 3. Which of the following best describes the function of the third paragraph of the passage?

A. It attempts to reconcile conflicting views presented in the previous paragraphs.
B. It presents evidence intended to undermine the argument presented in the second paragraph.
C. It provides examples that support the position taken in the first sentence of the second paragraph.
D. It describes the contents of the documents mentioned in the first paragraph.
E. It suggests that a distinction noted in the first paragraph is valid.

4 
 4. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. using modern understanding of cultural bias to challenge ethnohistoric documents
B. evaluating competing descriptions of women's roles in Aztec society
C. comparing the influence of gender on women's roles in Aztec society and in modern society
D. remedying a potential misconception about the significance of women's roles in Aztec society
E. applying new evidence in a reevaluation of ethnohistoric documents

AmoyV · Accepted Answer

Time taken 6:30 mins.
1.The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the documents mentioned in the first sentence of the passage?
A. They contain misleading information about the kinds of productive activities Aztec women engaged in. It doesnt question the evidence or the activites done by Aztec women. It questions the interpretation. 
B. They overlook certain crucial activities performed by women in Aztec society. There is full knowledge about what work the women did 
C. They provide useful information about the way that Aztec society viewed women. Nope 
D. They are of limited value because they were heavily influenced by the bias of those who recorded them. There is mention about a bias based on "western" sensibilities but we dont know for sure if the recorders were western or not 
E. They contain information that is likely to be misinterpreted by modern-day readers. Yes. There is a fear of misinterpretation by in modern days

2. According to the passage, Aztec women's cloth production enabled Aztec society to do which of the following?
A Expand women's role in agriculture Nope 
B Organize the flow of goods and services Yes. The last paragraph explicitly states this 
C Develop self-contained communities Nope. They also traded 
D Hire agricultural laborers from outside the society Nope 
E Establish a higher standard of living than neighboring cultures Nope. Cloth was used as a status symbol within the community

3. Which of the following best describes the function of the third paragraph of the passage?
A. It attempts to reconcile conflicting views presented in the previous paragraphs. No reconciling. It gives out examples of how important the women-made cloth was 
B. It presents evidence intended to undermine the argument presented in the second paragraph. Evidence is used to support the 2nd paragraph, not undermine 2nd paragraph 
C. It provides examples that support the position taken in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Yes 
D. It describes the contents of the documents mentioned in the first paragraph. No contents. Just examples. 
E. It suggests that a distinction noted in the first paragraph is valid. Nope

4. The passage is primarily concerned with
A. using modern understanding of cultural bias to challenge ethnohistoric documents  The passage is too narrow in scope to have such a profound effect. Wrong. 
B. evaluating competing descriptions of women's roles in Aztec society It doesnt present competing description but is taking a description and evaluating it in a different light 
C. comparing the influence of gender on women's roles in Aztec society and in modern society There is no mention of influence of gender 
D. remedying a potential misconception about the significance of women's roles in Aztec society  The misconception was that women's role was limited to home and not very important. In fact the opposite was true and the argument brings this to light. 
E. applying new evidence in a reevaluation of ethnohistoric documents The passage never calls the documents or evidence into question. Its just the evaluation of evidence that is being questioned.

JarvisR · Answer

Time taken 8 mins.
1.The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the documents mentioned in the first sentence of the passage?
E. They contain information that is likely to be misinterpreted by modern-day readers.
"Ethnohistoric documents from sixteenth-century Mexico suggesting that weaving and cooking were the most common productive activities for Aztec women may lead modern historians to underestimate the value of women's contributions to Aztec society"

2. According to the passage, Aztec women's cloth production enabled Aztec society to do which of the following?
B Organize the flow of goods and services
"The cloth that was the product of women's work thus was crucial as a primary means of organizing the flow of goods and services that sustained the Aztec state."

3. Which of the following best describes the function of the third paragraph of the passage?
C. It provides examples that   the position taken in the  
"
P1: Since weaving and cooking occurred mostly (but not entirely) in a domestic setting, modern historians are likely to apply to the Aztec culture the modern Western distinction between "private" and "public" production.

P2: A closer examination of Aztec culture indicates that treating Aztec women's production in Mexico in such a manner would be a mistake.

P3: But the products of women's labor did in fact circulate beyond the household. 
"

4. The passage is primarily concerned with
D. remedying a potential misconception about the significance of women's roles in Aztec society
Looking at P1, P2 and P3.

BillyZ · Answer

Ethnohistoric documents from sixteenth-century Mexico suggesting that weaving and cooking were the most common productive activities for Aztec women may lead modern historians to underestimate the value of women's contributions to Aztec society. Since weaving and cooking occurred mostly (but not entirely) in a domestic setting, modern historians are likely to apply to the Aztec culture the modern Western distinction between "private" and "public" production. Thus, the ethnohistoric record conspires with Western culture to foster the view that women's production was not central to the demographic, economic, and political structures in sixteenth-century Mexico.

A closer examination of Aztec culture indicates that treating Aztec women's production in Mexico in such a manner would be a mistake. Even if the  products of women's labor  DID NOT  circulate beyond the household , such products were essential to population growth. Researchers document a tenfold increase in the population of the valley of Mexico during the previous four centuries, an increase that was crucial to the developing Aztec political economy. Population growth — which could not have occurred in the absence of successful household economy, in which women's work was essential — made possible the large-scale development of labor-intensive chinampa (ridged-field) agriculture in the southern valley of Mexico which, in turn, supported urbanization and political centralization in the Aztec capital.

But the products of women's labor  DID  in fact circulate beyond the household . Aztec women wove cloth, and cloth circulated through the market system, the tribute system, and the redistributive economy of the palaces. Cotton mantles served as a unit of currency in the regional market system. Quantities of woven mantles, loincloths, blouses, and skirts were paid as tribute to local lords and to imperial tax stewards and were distributed to ritual and administrative personnel, craft specialists, warriors, and other faithful servants of the state. In addition, woven articles of clothing served as markers of social status and clothing fulfilled a symbolic function in political negotiation. The cloth that was the product of women's work thus was crucial as a primary means of organizing the flow of goods and services that sustained the Aztec state.

3. Which of the following best describes the function of the third paragraph of the passage?

(A) It attempts to reconcile conflicting views presented in the previous paragraphs.
(B) It presents evidence intended to undermine the argument presented in the second paragraph.
(C) It provides examples that support the position taken in the first sentence of the second paragraph.
(D) It describes the contents of the documents mentioned in the first paragraph.
(E) It suggests that a distinction noted in the first paragraph is valid.

GMATNinja , Could you help with Question 3?

GMATNinja · Answer

The purpose of the first paragraph is to suggest that ethnohistoric documents from sixteenth-century Mexico may lead modern historians to  underestimate  the value of women's contributions to Aztec society. Why? Because modern historians are likely to apply to the Aztec culture the modern Western distinction between "private" and "public" production.

The second paragraph suggests that applying this modern Western distinction to the Aztec culture would be a mistake (i.e. it would diminish the true impact of women's contributions to Aztec society).

The third paragraph then demonstrates why the modern Western distinction should not be applied to the Aztec culture. It should not be applied because the products of women's labor did in fact circulate beyond the household (so their products were not solely "private"). For example, the cloth woven by women circulated through the market system, the tribute system, and the redistributive economy of the palaces. The third paragraph provides specific examples to illustrate this point.

Thus, the third paragraph provides examples that support the position taken in the first sentence of the second paragraph (that treating Aztec women's production in Mexico with the modern Western distinction between "private" and "public" would be a mistake).

Choice (C) is the best answer.

krndatta · Answer

EducationAisle

Can you explain how C is the answer and not option B?

That's my doubt.

EducationAisle · Answer

First sentence of the second paragraph: A closer examination of Aztec culture indicates that treating Aztec women's production in Mexico in such a manner (that women's production was not central to the demographic, economic, and political structures in sixteenth-century Mexico) would be a mistake.

Third paragraph then goes on to provide various examples that prove that Aztec women's production in Mexico indeed played a crucial role in organizing the flow of goods and services that sustained the Aztec state.

Hence, third para is supporting and not undermining (weakening) the argument presented in the second paragraph.

nikitathegreat · Answer

E. applying new evidence in a reevaluation of ethnohistoric documents

Does question 4 option choice E means reevaluation of content in the document ?? We are reevaluating the women's role in Aztec society basis the new evidences right/ from different lens? The content in the document is no where false or misleading.

Is my understanding correct?
 GMATNinja  @VeritasKarishma

GMATNinja · Answer

As you suggest, this passage concerns our understanding of the role of women in Aztec society. The author is worried that interpretations of certain "ethnohistoric documents" which misapply "modern Western" ideas might underestimate Aztec women's importance.

Let's now consider (E):

According to the passage, certain ethnohistoric documents have led to the false conclusion that women did not play an important role in Aztec society. The author's main purpose is to argue against this misconception.

So it's not the documents  themselves  that are being "reevaluated," but rather the  implications  of the documents. You could argue that the documents are being  reinterpreted , but not reevaluated exactly. To evaluate something is to decide whether it's valuable or not. That's not really what's happening here.

Additionally, at no point is "new evidence" explicitly presented.

For all of those reasons, we can eliminate (E).

I hope that helps!

egmat · Answer

Question 1

Let me help you understand the author's perspective on those historical documents.

Understanding the Core Issue

Let's think about what's actually happening in this first paragraph. The author mentions these sixteenth-century documents that say Aztec women mainly did weaving and cooking. Now, here's what you need to see - the author isn't saying these documents are  wrong . They're accurate about what women did. The problem is what happens  after  - when modern historians read these documents.

The Key Distinction

Notice how the author says these documents "may lead modern historians to underestimate the value of women's contributions." This is crucial! The issue isn't with the documents themselves - it's with how modern readers interpret them through their own cultural lens.

Breaking Down the Answer Choices

Let's quickly eliminate the wrong answers:

Choice A:  "misleading information" - Nope! The documents are accurate about the activities.

Choice B:  "overlook certain crucial activities" - The author never suggests activities were left out.

Choice C:  "how Aztec society viewed women" - The passage doesn't discuss Aztec perspectives on women at all.

Choice D:  "biased by those who recorded them" - The author doesn't criticize the original recorders.

Choice E:  "likely to be misinterpreted by modern-day readers" - Bingo! This matches exactly what the author argues. The documents contain accurate information (weaving and cooking) that modern historians are likely to misinterpret as unimportant because they apply inappropriate Western frameworks.

The rest of the passage actually proves this point by showing how weaving and cooking were actually central to Aztec society's economic and political structures - far more important than they might appear to modern readers.

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You can check out the  step-by-step solution on Neuron by e-GMAT  to master the systematic approach for handling author's perspective questions. You'll discover the framework for distinguishing between factual accuracy and interpretive issues - a pattern that appears frequently in GMAT RC. You can also explore other GMAT official questions with detailed solutions on Neuron for structured practice  here .

Ethnohistoric documents from sixteenth-century Mexico suggesting that

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Ethnohistoric documents from sixteenth-century Mexico suggesting that

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