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Difficulty: Very hardEstablishing Introductions and Thesis Statements

Maya Hieroglyphs

[1] __________________________________________________ Historically, scholars like Eric Thompson argued that the glyphs were merely logographic symbols representing dates and astronomical concepts, with no phonetic elements. This view dominated Mayanist studies for decades, creating a consensus that Mayan writing could never be read phonetically. However, in the mid-twentieth century, Yuri Knorozov, a Soviet linguist, proposed that the glyphs represented syllables in addition to logograms. By comparing the signs in the surviving codices with spoken Mayan languages, Knorozov demonstrated that the script could indeed transcribe the sounds of spoken language, a breakthrough that revolutionized the field of Mesoamerican archaeology.

Knorozov's phonetic approach met with fierce resistance from the established academic community, but it eventually gained traction as other researchers successfully deciphered names, dynasties, and historical events recorded on monuments. The resulting translations transformed our understanding of Classic Maya society from a peaceful, stargazing civilization into one of complex political alliances, warfare, and rich literature.

The writer wants to begin the passage with a sentence that establishes its main focus: the shift in how scholars understood Mayan hieroglyphs. Which of the following sentences, if added at [1], would best accomplish this goal?

  1. A
    Because early Mayanist scholars argued for decades that the hieroglyphs were purely symbolic and represented only abstract calendar dates.
  2. B
    For decades, the dominant academic consensus among Mayanist scholars, established by influential figures like Eric Thompson, have maintained that the glyphs could not represent phonetic sounds.
  3. Mainstream Mayanist studies initially rejected the idea that Maya hieroglyphs represented spoken sounds, but a mid-twentieth-century breakthrough revealed that the script was a complex combination of phonetic syllables and word symbols.Answer
  4. D
    Scholars historically believed that Mayan writing did not record spoken language; although Knorozov later proved that the glyphs contained phonetic elements.

Answer

Mainstream Mayanist studies initially rejected the idea that Maya hieroglyphs represented spoken sounds, but a mid-twentieth-century breakthrough revealed that the script was a complex combination of phonetic syllables and word symbols.
The correct answer is grammatically sound and establishes the main focus of the passage. It highlights both the initial consensus (that the hieroglyphs did not represent spoken sounds) and the mid-twentieth-century phonetic breakthrough, setting up the historical contrast detailed in the paragraphs.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the passage to determine its main focus and rhetorical structure.
The passage discusses the shift from the historical view that Mayan hieroglyphs were purely symbolic/non-phonetic to Yuri Knorozov's mid-twentieth-century breakthrough proving they represented spoken syllables.
This defines the target content and focus that the introductory sentence must establish.
2
Evaluate the grammatical correctness of each option.
Identify that the option beginning with 'Because' is a fragment (dependent clause); the option with 'consensus... have maintained' has a subject-verb agreement error; and the option using a semicolon before 'although' is ungrammatical because it separates a dependent clause from an independent clause.
Any option containing a grammatical error must be eliminated, regardless of its content.
3
Select the option that is both grammatically sound and rhetorically effective.
The option starting with 'Mainstream Mayanist studies initially rejected...' is grammatically correct and perfectly introduces the shift in scholarly consensus.
This sentence fulfills both grammatical correctness and the rhetorical goal of introducing the passage's main focus.

Key Concept

Establishing Introductions and Thesis Statements
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Topics

Establishing Introductions and Thesis Statements

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