Syllabus (PDF)

ANTHROPOLOGY 133 CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN MESOAMERICA MW 11:00-12:15 HSSB 1174

Professor: Dr. Amber VanDerwarker Office: HSSB 1038 Phone: 805-893-4981 E-mail: [email protected] Professor Office Hours: M/W 2-3pm or by appointment TA: Dana Bardolph Office: HSSB 2042 Email: [email protected] TA Office Hours (in person): Wed. 1-2 TA Chat Room Office hours: Mon 3-5 (log onto Gaucho Space) Note that Dana holds additional online office hours from 6-8 pm the night before the midterm and final (in place of the regularly scheduled Monday evening hours).

I. Course Description This is a survey course in the prehistory of Mesoamerica, which includes Mexico and Central America, from the earliest settlement of the region by humans up through Spanish conquest. We will cover various topics such as the domestication of plants by humans; the transition to agriculture and settled village life; the emergence of social inequality; and the rise and collapse of chiefdoms, states, and empires. We consider these topics through the lens of archaeology, which focuses on the study of materials remains left by human activity. As archaeologists, we do not have direct access to people’s thoughts and ideas, but must infer them from the artifacts that they left behind. Thus, in addition to tracing the (pre) history of Mesoamerican cultures, we will also consider how archaeologists have arrived at their interpretations of the Mesoamerican past via the archaeological record.

At the end of the semester, students will: • Be able to situate past Mesoamerican cultures in time and space • Understand how archaeology informs our understanding of past environmental and social issues • Have a grasp of theories regarding the origins of agriculture and the rise of complex societies • Be able to connect theory to specific cases from Mesoamerica’s past • Be familiar with how archaeologists make arguments by reading a primary case study

II. Online Access to Course Materials You can access course materials online at gaucho space (http://gauchospace.ucsb.edu). Materials that are accessible online are: the Course Syllabus, Powerpoint Presentations, Study Guides, etc.

1 We will not be using the online grading system. There is also a CHAT ROOM set up in Gaucho Space for online office hours – the chat room will be run by the course TA, Dana Bardolph. See above for the chat room schedule.

III. Course Texts Readings for the course will consist of two main texts (both of which are available in the campus bookstore and are on reserve at the library): a general textbook on the archaeology and culture history of Mesoamerica and a case study of a specific time and place. You are expected to keep up with the readings and come to class prepared to participate. See course schedule for the breakdown of reading assignments. Readings highlighted in gray are available on Gaucho Space in PDF format.

 Coe, Michael D. and Rex Koontz, 2008, 6th Edition, Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs, Thames & Hudson, ISBN  978-0-500-28755-2  VanDerwarker, Amber, 2006, Farming, Hunting, and Fishing in the Olmec World, University of Texas Press, ISBN  0-292-70980-3  Ford, Anabel, 2008, Dominant Plants of the Maya Forest and Gardens of El Pilar: Implications for Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction. Journal of Ethnobiology 28(2):179-199.  Ford, Anabel and Ronald Nigh, 2009, Origins of the Maya Forest Garden: Maya Resource Management. Journal of Ethnobiology 29(2):213-236.

IV. Course Requirements Your total grade will be figured from a midterm exam, a final exam, and two map quizzes.

Grading Scale:

A+ = 97-100 C = 73-76 A = 93-96 C- = 70-72 A- = 90-92 D+ = 67-69 B+ = 87-89 D = 63-66 B = 83-86 D- = 60-62 B- = 80-82 F = 59 and below C+ = 77-79

Grading Components: • Midterm Exam 30% • Final Exam 30% • Map Quiz 1 15% • Map Quiz 2 15% • Book Quiz 10%

Attendance/Participation: I will not be taking attendance in this course. You are all adults and it is your responsibility to come to class regularly and on time. If you do not attend regularly, you can expect to do poorly on the course quizzes and exams. If you are absent, make arrangements with your fellow students for discussions of missed material/class notes.

2 3

The Midterm Exam will consist of a combination of multiple choice, matching, and map location sections. • 20 multiple choice questions (2 point each) = 40 points • 20 matching word/definition (2 points each) = 40 points • 10 map locations (2 points each) = 20 points • TOTAL = 100 points

The Final Exam will be cumulative and will consist of a combination of multiple choice, matching, and map location sections. • 20 multiple choice questions (2 points each) = 40 points • 20 matching word/definition (2 points each) = 40 points • 10 map locations (2 points each) = 20 points • TOTAL = 100 points

Make-up tests  Except for special cases, Make-up tests will ONLY be given to students who have arranged with the instructor PRIOR to the scheduled test and who have a COMPELLING REASON. A prior arrangement with the instructor means that you cannot show up at my office right before the test and expect to opt out.

The Map Quizzes will test your knowledge of regions of Mesoamerica and the location of important archaeological sites. Prior to each map quiz, I will provide a template for you (both a blank map and one with the possible locations that will appear on the quiz) • Map Quiz 1 will deal with regions of Mesoamerica (this will consist of Mexican states, central American countries, and major bodies of water) • Map Quiz 2 will deal with archaeological sites

The Book Quiz is intended to test your general knowledge of the case study we will be reading (Farming, Hunting, and Fishing in the Olmec World). It will consist of 20 multiple choice questions that focus on basic concepts, events, and interpretations from the book. If you have read the book (and paid attention while reading it) you will do well on the quiz.

V. Course Schedule

DAY DATE MAJOR TOPIC SPECIFIC TOPIC READING Quizzes/Tests Mon Jan 5 Introduction to Mesoamerica Brief Introduction Wed Jan 7 Mesoamerican chronology & cultural development Coe & Koontz, Chapter 1 Mon Jan 12 Mesoamerican Ecology & Geography Coe & Koontz, Chapter 1 Wed Jan 14 Mesoamerican Foragers The Paleoindian Period Coe & Koontz, Chapter 2 Mon Jan 19 NO CLASS - HOLIDAY Wed Jan 21 FILM: Mystery of the First Americans Mon Jan 26 The Archaic Period Coe & Koontz, Chapter 3 Map Quiz #1 Wed Jan 28 The Archaic Period, cont'd Coe & Koontz, Chapter 3 Mon Feb 2 Mesoamerican Farmers Guest Speaker: Dr. Anabel Ford on Forest Gardens Ford 2008; Ford & Nigh 2009 Wed Feb 4 MIDTERM Mon Feb 9 The Initial Formative Coe & Koontz, Chapter 4

Wed Feb 11 The Rise of the Olmec (Early & Middle Formative) Coe & Koontz, Chapter 5; VanDerwarker, Chapters 1-3 Mon Feb 16 NO CLASS - HOLIDAY Wed Feb 18 The Formative Sierra de los Tuxtlas VanDerwarker, Chapters 4-5 Map Quiz #2 Mon Feb 23 The Formative Sierra de los Tuxtlas VanDerwarker, Chapters 6-7 Wed Feb 25 Mesoamerican Cities Guest Speaker: Dr. Janine Gasco on cacao Mon Mar 2 Formative/Classic Transition in Oaxaca Coe & Koontz, Chapter 6 Book Quiz Wed Mar 4 Classic Period Teotihuacan / lecture by Dana Bardolph Coe & Koontz, Chapter 6 Mon Mar 9 The Classic Maya at Copan Coe & Koontz, Chapter 7 Wed Mar 11 Final Exam Review Thurs Mar 19 FINAL EXAM 12-3 pm Final Exam