One of the most important aspects of the Maya economy was the exchange of exotic goods. Maya rulers and elites needed such goods to maintain and reinforce their social status and power Many of these goods were used in the formal dress of kings, nobles, and priests. Without them, the elites could not carry out the rituals that were their principal duties in the eyes of the people.
Jaguar pelts, fine textiles, feathers, and other such products were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands.
Such items were probably exchanged as dowry, gifts at royal marriages, coronations, funerals, or at religious pilgrimages. Exotic goods were also probably given as tribute to rulers by their
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These high status goods held together the Maya world and unified patterns of behavior in religion, science, and warfare. Their exchange surely went hand in hand with exchanges of information,
including scientific knowledge, early writing, and most importantly, models of political organization."
Arthur Demarest, United States anthropologist, Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization, 2004
Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the author's conclusion about the importance of exotic goods to the Maya region's economy?
А
Exotic goods were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands.
B
Exotic goods were traded between the Maya city-states and neighboring states
C
The exchange of exotic goods went hand in hand with the exchange of information
The Maya region depended on the trade in exotic goods because of relatively low levels of agricultural production,
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