This paper has a two-fold objective. First of all, it suggests a possible method for handling the art products of a society as psychological data in order to make statements about the personality structure characteristic of individuals in that society. Secondly, it presents, as a test case, certain statements, about the personality of the pre-contact Maya, derived from an analysis of the three codices. These statements are then compared with remarks by Bishop Landa, and also with recent Rorschach findings, in order to cheek on the validity of the “art-analysis” diagnosis.

History of the Research

I became interested in this problem directly as the result of taking a course in 1948 under Dr. Linton Satterthwaite of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, in “Indian Backgrounds of Latin American History.” Under