  The Maunder Minimum (MM) was a prolonged period of low solar activity that
occurred between 1645 and 1715. The true level of solar activity corresponding
to this epoch is still a matter of debate. In order to compare solar activity
during the MM with that of other epochs, we have evaluated the umbra-penumbra
area ratio (U/P hereafter) during the MM. Thus, we have analyzed 196 sunspot
drawings including 48 different sunspots observed during the period 1660-1709.
The mode value of the ratio obtained from the occurrence frequency distribution
lies between 0.15 and 0.25. Furthermore, the median and mean values are equal
to 0.24 \pm 0.07 and 0.27 \pm 0.08 with a sigma clipping, respectively. These
results are consistent with recent research using more modern data. Higher U/P
values mean faster sunspot decay rates. From our results, the almost absence of
sunspots during the Maunder Minimum could not be explained by changes in the
U/P since the values of the ratio obtained in this work are similar to values
found for other epochs.
