SYLLABUS

ARH 347N / LAS 327 Aztec Art and Civilization

Fall 2020

Instructor Prof. David Stuart, Department of Art and Art History

Office: ART 1.412 ( Center). Email: [email protected]

Office Hours I am available for virtual Office hours on Zoom: Mondays at 3 PM – 5 PM These will be via my own Zoom address, not the classroom Zoom portal. I will share that address via a separate announcement, at the beginning of the course.

Course Overview Aztec (or Mexica) civilization dominated much of present-day during the last two centuries before the Spanish conquest of 1521, and its culture left a profound legacy in the history, art and imagination of the region. The were the last of many related civilizations that define what we know as ancient Mesoamerica, and in their relatively short presence, from the 1300s up to 1521, they produced some of the most compelling and, some would say, emotionally chilling art the world has ever known. In this course we will look in detail at Aztec history and artistic expression, contextualizing their sculpture, architecture, painting and other artworks, as windows into a remarkable yet still remote and violent culture. Students should be prepared to experience a variety of reactions and emotions when looking at Aztec art, ranging from enthrallment, confusion, awe, and at times even repulsion. These raise some key questions of wider importance: How does one approach meaning in this very “alien” art, so removed from Western traditions and ways of thinking? What did the ancient Aztec kings, priests and artists try to communicate to their audiences? How did social and political forces give rise to distinctive qualities of Aztec art? How might we still perceive the ideas and “ethos” of Aztec art and religion within the complex society of modern México? Also, what is “ritual violence,” and what role did art play in its performance and expression? How does the legacy of Aztec civilization exert influence in the politics and cultural debates of today, even beyond Mexico? These are just some of the many questions we will explore over the coming weeks.

VAPA Please note that this course may be used to fulfill the visual and performing arts (VAPA) component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four core objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills, critical thinking skills, teamwork, and social responsibility.

Global Cultures Flag This course also carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present.

Readings Two textbooks are required. Please buy copies as soon as possible if you have not already. Without them and other readings you will not be able to follow with the class.

• Esther Pasztory, Aztec Art (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1998) • Manuel Aguilar-Moreno, Handbook to Life in the Aztec World (Oxford University Press, 2006)

Each week we will read selections from these works as well as pdfs of articles or book excerpts. Do be aware that the structure of the course differs from the sequence of topics as covered in the textbooks themselves, so play close attention to the page numbers given in the assigned readings. Supplemental readings will be posted as pdfs on Canvas (under “Files”) where you can easily download them.

Readings are grouped according to week in the syllabus, so please have them all done before Monday class. The lectures will often cover similar material, but be aware that readings in no way substitute for lecture content. You are responsible for absorbing both.

Course Attendance Unless otherwise indicated, we will all meet via Zoom on Mondays at our scheduled class time, at 1 PM (“Live and Online” in the course schedule). Our first live meeting, giving an orientation to the course, will be on Friday August 28, at 1 PM. Our Friday sessions will be rather loosely structured, and they provide you all with opportunities to ask questions and to foster discussion. Our class is large, so we may also break up into smaller groups for particular topics.

Otherwise the course "lectures" will be online, with links provided on Canvas. These presentations are seldom more than 30 minutes or so, to make them a little easier to absorb.

Assignments There are several short assignments given during the semester, including a map quiz and short essays and exercises. Together these comprise 25% of your grade.

Short Paper A short paper is due at the end of the term. This will be your own examination and interpretation of an artwork not covered at length in the class. 6-8 pages length with citations. Topic must be approved by Prof. Stuart by November 6.

Midterm and Final Exams

A midterm and final exam will assess your knowledge of the issues raised in lectures and discussions, as well as your familiarity with the interpretation of Aztec visual culture. The "take- home" midterm is due October 9. And the cumulative final exam will be on December 4.

Grading Percentages Assignments - 25% Midterm - 25% Short paper - 25% FInal - 25%

Accommodations We are living in a challenging time and I want to convey to all students that our course needs to recognize the limitations we are all working under. I want to provide a good deal of freedom for students to pace themselves as life permits. Please contact me with any concerns and questions you might have, since communication is key.

Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities.

SCHEDULE OF LECTURES, DISCUSSIONS AND READINGS (Version 1)

Readings marked by * can be found in the “Files” section of our course site on Canvas. Please note that I may make slight modifications and adjustments to the schedule. I will post any changes in Announcements and also post updated versions of this document (Version 2, Version 3, etc.). Please make sure you are checking the latest version on Canvas.

UNIT 1 The Aztecs in Mesoamerica: Setting and Background

WEEK 1 Live and Online (Friday, August 28, 2 PM) Greeting and Course Orientation

Readings (have done by Monday, August 31) Pasztory, Aztec Art, pp. 11-56

WEEK 2 Live and Online (Monday, August 31, 2 PM) Aztecs in the Popular Imagination

Video Lectures and Sources (by September 7) 1. What’s an Aztec? 2. The Mesoamerican World, Part I 3. The Mesoamerican World, Part II 4. Online video: Aztec Depictions in Pop Culture (ComicCon 2020 panel) (44 mins.)

Readings (by September 7) Aguilar-Moreno, pp. 1-19, 51-72, 380-384 *Carballo, Mesoamerica: A Deep History

Assignment 1. Aztec as Idea. Due: Friday, September 4, 6 PM. Directions for this assignment can be found on Canvas, under Assignments.

WEEK 3 Live and Online (Monday, September 7, 2 PM) Looking at the Nuremburg Map of

Video Lectures and Sources (by September 14) 5. The City of Tenochtitlan and The Valley of Mexico 6. The Great Encounter 1519-1521 7. Indigenous Accounts of the Invasion

Readings (by September 14) *Carballo, The Spanish-Mexica War *Bernal Díaz, The Discovery and Conquest of México, excerpt * Florentine Codex, Book 12, Chapters 15-16

WEEK 4 Live and Online (Monday, September 14, 2 PM) Conquest or War?

Video Lectures and Sources (by September 21) 8. Sources, Documents and Nahuatl Language 9. Online video: Nahuatl in New York https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTBABGLJzIA (5 mins.) 10. Online audio: Far from Mexico, Students Try Saving Aztec Language https://www.npr.org/2012/11/30/166260521/far-from-mexico-students-try-saving-aztec- language (4 mins.) 11. Online video: El Mantenido (Storyteller in Eastern Nahuatl) http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/3885/samples/8836 (10 mins.)

Readings: Review Aguilar Moreno, p. xxiii, 56-64, 68-71

Assignment 2. Map of the Valley of Mexico (due Friday, September 18)

Unit 2. Visual Presentation of Language, Time and History

WEEK 5 Live and Online (Monday September 14, 2 PM) Using Nahuatl Today

Video Lectures and Sources 12. Art and Society in Tenochtitlan 13. The Kings of Tenochtitlan 14. The Mendoza Codex (w online access)

Additional Course Materials: The Mendoza Codex (line version, with annotations)

Online resources: The Mendoza Codex

Readings Pasztory, pp 70-94 Aguilar Moreno, pp. 74-87 *Bleichmar, History in Pictures

WEEK 6 Live and Online (Monday, September 21, 2 PM) The Mendoza Codex: What and Why?

Video Lectures and Sources 15. Language as Art, Art as Language: Exploring the Nature of Mesoamerican Writing 16. Nahua Writing, Part I 17. Nahua Writing, Part II.

Readings Aguilar-Moreno, pp. 275-282

Assignment 3. Aztec Hieroglyphs (due Friday, September 25)

WEEK 7 Live and Online (Monday, September 28, 2 PM)

Video Lectures and Sources 18. Marking Time in Mesoamerica, Part I (26 mins) 19. Marking Time in Mesoamerica, Part II (21 mins) 20. Marking Time in Mesoamerica, Part III (25 mins) 21. Marking Time in Mesoamerica, Part IV (13 mins)

Readings: Aguilar-Moreno pp. 139-140, 290-304 Pasztory, p. 59-6á *Durán, The Ancient Calendar (excerpt)

Additional Course Materials (Canvas Files): Legend of the Suns, Text Translation

On-line Resource(s): https://www.azteccalendar.com/azteccalendar.html

Unit 3. Religious Iconography and Sacred Spaces

WEEK 8 Midterm Review (Monday, October 5, 2PM)

22. Teotl and Aztec Gods 23. Animism in Mesoamerica 24. The Major Gods, Part I 25. The Major Gods, Part II

Readings Aguilar-Moreno, pp. 137-152 Sandstrom, Paper Cult Figures among the Contemporary Nahua Indians

Midterm Exam, Due October 9, 12 PM.

WEEK 9 Live and Online (Monday, October 12, 2 PM)

26. Architecture and Urban Spaces in the Aztec World 27. The Sacred Precinct and Plaza of Tenochtitlan 28. Teocalli (God House) and Momoztli (Daily Place) 29. Sacred Landscapes:. Tezcotzingo, Mt. Tlaloc, and Chapultepec

Readings Aguilar-Moreno, pp. 244-260 Pasztory, pp. 95-178 *Ragavan, Heaven on Earth *Townsend, The Renewal of Nature at Mt. Tlaloc

WEEK 10 Live and Online (Monday, October 19, 2 PM)

30. The Great Temple, Part I 31. The Great Temple, Part II 32. The Great Temple, Part III

Readings Aguilar-Moreno, pp. 230-244 *Matos Moctezuma, The Aztec Main Pyramid: Architecture at Tenochtitlan

Unit 4. The Performance of Art and Monuments

WEEK 11 Live and Online (Monday, October 26, 2 PM)

33. Human Sacrifice, Performance and Display 34. Regalia, Dress and Impersonation

Readings *Dodds Pennock, Mass Murder or Religious Homicide: Rethinking Human Sacrifice and Interpersonal Violence in Aztec Society. *Clendinnen, VIctims

WEEK 12 Live and Online (Monday, November 2, 2 PM) Sacrifice and Reciprocity

35. Aztec artists and scribes 36. Art, Aesthetics and the Maya Legacy

WEEK 13 Live and Online (Monday, November 9, 2 PM)

37. A City of Sculpture 38. The Stone of Tizoc: Conquest and Cosmology 39. The Teocalli of Sacred Warfare

WEEK 14 Live and Online (Monday, November 16, 2 PM) What’s the Calendar Stone?

40. Deciphering the Sun Stone, Part I 41. Deciphering the Sun Stone, Part II

Readings: Navarrete and Heyden, The Central Face of the Sun Stone Nicholson, The Face of the Calendar Stone Stuart, “The Emperor and the Cosmos: A New Interpretation of the Calendar Stone”

WEEK 15 No classes this week

WEEK 16 Live and Online (Monday, November 30, 2 PM) Course wrap-up

December 4. Final Exam Due.