IA Maya mortuary practice

[K-chan]

Hello,

I've got a question to my topic. I want to write about an ancient culture and chose the Mayas. Here I have several possibilieties, like the hierarchy in the population or rituals, but I think the mortuary practices nad the imagination of the life after dead are really interesting. Therefore my topic should be something like:

"How did the imagination of Mayas about Xibalba (realm of the death) changes from countriefied regions to mountains?"

But I am sure that there must be a better formulation of the topic, but do you think it fits in the IB context? I am trying to put some stuff about the preparations for death in case of buildings etc in it but I don't now how to integrate in in the title.

Thanks for comments.

[Julie]

There is one problem with this topic, although it is interesting--> will you be able to get your hands on primary sources? It's not very good to have just secondary, historian sources. The Mayans were BC period. How will you get any documents that are from the BC period?

[K-chan]

Ok thanks for admitting. I was not sure about must have primary sources. I really have not read something about it. The only "primary source" in translation is one book archeologist found. It is existing partly in google books and I can also try to get it. It's a translation, do you think it would be ok?

[Julie]

Ok thanks for admitting. I was not sure about must have primary sources. I really have not read something about it. The only "primary source" in translation is one book archeologist found. It is existing partly in google books and I can also try to get it. It's a translation, do you think it would be ok?

You will need more than one primary source. Also, how do you know that book the archeologist found will have any information concerning your topic. I would stay away from such old time periods. It makes finding sources very difficult.

Here, see if this helps you come up with a topic: http://www.ibsurvival.com/topic/12468-internal-assessmenthistorical-investigation-process/

[K-chan]

Ok thanks for admitting. I was not sure about must have primary sources. I really have not read something about it. The only "primary source" in translation is one book archeologist found. It is existing partly in google books and I can also try to get it. It's a translation, do you think it would be ok?

You will need more than one primary source. Also, how do you know that book the archeologist found will have any information concerning your topic. I would stay away from such old time periods. It makes finding sources very difficult.

Here, see if this helps you come up with a topic: http://www.ibsurvival.com/topic/12468-internal-assessmenthistorical-investigation-process/

My problem here is the time. I already changed my title because I cannot find good sources. Before it was "To what extent did the Germans influence the Easter Uprisings in Dublin 1918" But I really don't like questions based in world wars etc. because I have no special interest in this whole war thing. I like ancient cultures more.

I reread the guidlines now and there is only " a good variaty of sources" named. Is this relating to the primary sources?

Do you think it is maybe possible to state the question different to create the possibility of secondary sources like "how are the rituals of mayas supported by certain pictures, monuments, dicovered by archeologists in the ruins of Yucatan?" Something like that, only a work title, because I have a lot of pictures etc that archeologists found in the ruins.

I am really not sure about changing this topic again because I like the work with this topic.

Thanks for your help.

[Bishup]

Actually that does sound interesting and I think you can do your IA on Mayan. It will be an analysis of 2 secondary sources simple as. Because of the nature of your historical investigation ie no primary sources you need to mention it in your plan of investigation.

I strongly suggest you take a book by a notorious historian who himself analyses a primary or extrapolates his info from it. And then you can mention the primary source he is analysing in a footnote or appendix.

I also strongly suggest you take a Spanish and Anglophone source for this just to tick the boxes of 2 interesting sources.

Most importantly I like your topic but you're question is bad. It sounds more like an Anthropological investigation.

You need to have a to what extent or a what effects. A historical effect. Assess the importance. You're question doesn't lend itself to a good historical investigation, if at all historical.

[K-chan]

Actually that does sound interesting and I think you can do your IA on Mayan. It will be an analysis of 2 secondary sources simple as. Because of the nature of your historical investigation ie no primary sources you need to mention it in your plan of investigation.

I strongly suggest you take a book by a notorious historian who himself analyses a primary or extrapolates his info from it. And then you can mention the primary source he is analysing in a footnote or appendix.

I also strongly suggest you take a Spanish and Anglophone source for this just to tick the boxes of 2 interesting sources.

Most importantly I like your topic but you're question is bad. It sounds more like an Anthropological investigation.

You need to have a to what extent or a what effects. A historical effect. Assess the importance. You're question doesn't lend itself to a good historical investigation, if at all historical.

Ok thanks for your commen. So one question remaining do you mean the first question about the Xibalba or the second about the rituals. Concerning the second and trying to fit your critics in it maybe I can focus on "To what extent did the rituals of the maya are a basis for the wars and expansions in the maya realm?" Do you think it sounds more historical now?

Additionally then I will try to find a spanish source, I think the library will have something. Actally I have a translation from a French specialist in Mayan history, two Italian ancient historians and some collected German versions. The other sources lying here are not so well.