Traditionally, Classic Maya social structure has been defined in terms of a two-tiered system comprising two juxtaposed groups broadly described as “elites” and “non-elites” or “commoners” (Chase and Chase 1992a: 8; Sharer 1994: 490). Although debate persists concerning the descriptive precision of such categories (see Chase and Chase 1992a), “the implication of the term elite is clear; it refers to a segment of a social system that enjoys measurably more prestige, power and/or wealth than the society at large” (Sanders 1992: 278). Determining the level of societal overlap between elites and commoners, however, remains an ongoing problem in Maya studies, inhibiting a more thorough understanding of sociopolitical organisation (Chase and Chase 1992a: 4). In terms of their distribution, elites are thought to have occupied the core of city centres whereas the non-elite lived on the periphery of the sites. An alternative to the concentric model proposes a mix of classes dispersed throughout city centres, “where monumental architecture... [combined] both public and elite functions” (Chase and Chase 1992a: 10). In accordance with this view, it has been proposed contentiously that although “the elite may be seen as... an important force in the integration and organization of society” (Chase and Chase 1992a: 16), “time and the availability of increased wealth allowed a ‘middle class’ to emerge that maintained positions of status and power between the elite and non-elite” (Sharer and Traxler 2006: 86; see also Chase and Chase 1992a: 11, Chase and Chase 1992b: 314, and Marcus 1992b: 223, 225). It is argued that this middle class probably comprised preferred specialists such as sculptors, painters, woodcarvers, potters, architects, and costume makers (Chase and Chase 1992a: 12). One of the methods by which the ruling elite sustained their power and prestige was through the control of goods produced or acquired through tribute. Visiting nobles traveled great distances to access commodities and resources under the strategic control of other city centres, presenting themselves as ambassadors from their home kingdoms (Schele and Mathews 1998: 1819). Clues as to the nature and structure of Maya society during the Classic Period come from archaeological, epigraphic, artefactual, iconographic sources; collectively these sources provide important insights into the Maya social system.
World History
