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Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica: a Reader, M.Smith and M Archaeology of Mesomerica George Washington University Course Anth 185.10 Spring, 2008 Dr. J. Blomster e-mail: [email protected], phone, ext. 44880 Class Meets: Tues & Thur, 3:45 – 5:00, 1957 E St., Rm. 211 Office Hours: Thursday, 11:00-1:00, HAH Rm. 301 The cultural region referred to as Mesoamerica – encompassing modern day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador – was the cradle of early and spectacular civilizations in the New World. This course will apply an anthropological perspective to the rich cultural traditions of Mesoamerica, focusing on the unique character of Mesoamerican civilization and its contributions to the world. No prerequisites are required. The structure of the course follows the chronological sequence of Mesoamerican cultures. After examining the peopling of the New World and the initial hunting/gathering lifestyle, the focus is on the development of agriculture, pottery, and the first permanent villages. We will examine the replacement of egalitarian societies by complex chiefdoms, states and even empires. Emphasis will be placed on the development of Mesoamerica’s first civilization – the Olmec – and the features first synthesized by the Olmecs that resonate in subsequent Mesoamerican civilizations. Different approaches to complex society and political organization will be examined by comparing the cities and states of Teotihuacán, Monte Albán, and various Maya polities. The course will conclude with a brief examination of the final prehispanic empire in Mesoamerica – the Aztec. The goals of the course are to both introduce the student to the varied achievements of ancient Native Americans in Mesoamerica and to place these developments in a larger anthropological perspective. Issues such as the development of agriculture, the concept and creation of elites, the foundation of cities, the emergence of administrative governments, the institution of organized religion, gender relations, and the collapse of societies have significance beyond Mesoamerica. We will explore these issues as well as how archaeologists can study them. This semester we will focus particularly on sacred space and power in Mesoamerican landscape as unifying themes. The class will incorporate both lectures and discussions. Students should arrive ready to participate in an informed and open discussion of the assigned readings each day, particularly those on electronic reserve and chapters from the non-Coe textbooks. Articles that will be discussed are clearly marked. Participation in class will comprise a portion of the final grade. Students with extra challenges: If you are a student with a documented disability at George Washington University and wish to request a reasonable accommodation for this class, please see me immediately. Keep in mind that reasonable accommodations are not provided retroactively. Ethics: All students will work individually on all assignments unless otherwise instructed and they will adhere to the GW code of academic integrity http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html. Textbooks (available at the bookstore): 1 Required: Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (5th edition), M. Coe and R. Koontz, 2002. The Maya (7th edition), M. Coe, 2005. The Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica: A Reader, M.Smith and M. Masson (eds.), 2000. Landscape and Power in Ancient Mesoamerica, R. Koontz, K. Reese-Taylor, and A. Headrick (eds.), 2001. Recommended: Reading the Maya Glyphs (2nd edition), M. Coe and M Van Stone, 2005. Lecture/Discussion Schedule: Note: S&M = Smith and Masson; C&K = Coe and Koontz; Coe = Maya; KRH = Koontz, Reese-Taylor and Headrick; C&VS = Coe and Van Stone (also on reserve at Gelman); ER = articles on Blackboard. Date Topics, Readings, and Assignments T, 1/15 Introduction to the Class and Defining Mesoamerica: Land and People. Read: S&M, Introduction; C&K, Chap. 1; Coe, Chap. 1. Th, 1/17 The Earliest Occupants of Mesoamerica: Beringia, Paleoindian, and Early Archaic. Read: C&K, Chap. 2; Coe, pp. 41-47. T, 1/22 The Origins of Agriculture and an Agricultural Economy: Tehuacan and Guila Naquitz. Read: C&K, Chap. 3. Discussion: Transition to Agriculture. Read: ER - “Archaeological Systems Theory and Early Mesoamerica,” K. Flannery, 1972. Discussion: Earliest Ritual Space in Mesoamerica? Read: ER – “The Co-evolution of Ritual and Society: New 14C Dates from Ancient Mexico,” J. Marcus and K. Flannery, 2004. ER – “The Oldest Ritual?” A. Lawler, 2005. Th, 1/24 Settled Life and Pottery: Early Formative Villages. Read: S&M, Chap.1; C&K, Chap. 4. Discussion: Gender and Social Identity – Figurines. Read: ER - “Figurines and Social Identities in Early Sedentary Societies of Coastal Chiapas, Mexico, 1550-800 b.c.,” R. Lesure, 1997. T, 1/29 The Emergence of Social Complexity: Soconusco and the Mokaya. Read: Coe, pp. 47-57. Discussion: The Power of Prestige: Public Space and Status. Read: S&M, Chap. 12. Assignment: Maps Due. Th, 1/31 Mesoamerica’s First Civilization: the Gulf Coast Olmec. Read: C&K, pp. 61-68 Discussion: From Whence Came the Olmecs? Read: ER - “African-Egyptian Presence in Ancient America,” I. Van Sertima, 1976. ER - “Robbing Native American Cultures: Van Sertima’s Afrocentricity and the Olmecs” (with CA comment), G. Haslip-Viera, B. Ortiz de Montellano, and W. Barbour, 1997. 2 T, 2/05 Olmec Social Organization and Urban Space: San Lorenzo and La Venta. Read: C&K, pp. 68-77. Discussion: Power and Sacred Landscape in Formative Mesoamerica. Read: KRH, pp. 1-13 and Chap. 6. Th, 2/07 Olmec Ideology, Politics and Ritual: El Azuzul and El Manatí. Read: S&M, Chap.18. Discussion Topic: The Olmecs - chiefdom or state? Prestige goods as power? Read: ER - “The Arts of Government in Early Mesoamerica,” J. Clark, 1997. T, 2/12 The Olmecs and Their Early Formative Neighbors. Discussion: Sourcing Wars and the Mother of all Problems. Read: ER – “Olmec Pottery Production and Export in Ancient Mexico Determined through Elemental Analysis,” J. Blomster, H. Neff, and M. Glascock, 2005. ER – “Implications of New Petrographic Analysis for the Olmec ‘Mother culture’ Model,” K. Flannery et al., 2005 Th, 2/14 La Venta Horizon Interaction Read: C&K, pp. 79-91. Discussion: Studying Interaction and Its Impact on Social Complexity. Read: ER – “Acquisitional Polities,” M. Helms, 1993. T, 2/19 Emergence of the State: Monte Albán and the Valley of Oaxaca. Read: C&K, pp. 91-98. Discussion: The Founding of Monte Albán and Sacred Space. Read: ER - “The Origins of Monte Albán,” R. Blanton, 1976. KRH, Chap. 3. Th, 2/21 Expansion of the Monte Albán State and Classic Centers in the Mixteca Alta: Writing, State Architecture, and Politics. Read: C&K, pp. 124-130. Discussion: How Can Archaeologists Study Ancient Zapotec Religion? Read: S&M, Chap.19. T, 2/26 Urbanism in Central Mexico: Teotihuacan. Read: C&K, pp. 101-120. Discussion: Apartment Life, Politics and Economics at Teotihuacan Read: S&M, Chap. 4; KRH, Chap. 7. Th, 2/28 Expansion and Interregional Interaction of the Teotihuacan State. Reciprocal Relationships: The Ball Game at El Tajín. Read: S&M, Chap. 15; C&K, pp. 122-124, KRH, pp. 13-21. Discussion: Teotihuacan: An Expansionistic Economic Empire? Read: S&M, Chap. 8. T, 3/04 MIDTERM! Th, 3/06 Origin and Precursors to Maya Civilization: Izapa, the Long Count, and Creation of the Maya Universe. Read: Coe, Chap. 3; C&K, pp. 77-79, 98-100. Discussion: Sacred Geography at Izapa. Read: KRH, Chap. 4. 3 T, 3/11 Maya Cosmology and Religion. Film: The Popol Vuh. Read: Coe, pp. 211-229 Th, 3/13 Maya Quotidian Life: Cerén. Guest Lecturer: Dr. L. Brown. Read: ER – “Introduction” and “The Cerén Site: Household 1,” P. Sheets, 2006. 3/18-3/20 Spring Recess T, 3/25 The Emergence of Kings: the Late Formative to Early Classic Maya. Read: Coe, Chap. 4. Discussion: The Concept of Kingship among the Late Formative Maya. Read: S&M, Chap. 20. Th, 3/27 Maya Politics and Superpowers: Tikal and its Rivals. Read: Coe, Chap. 5. Discussion: Class and Hierarchy Among the Maya. Read: S&M, Chap. 2. Assignment: Paper Topics Due!! T, 4/01 Principles of Maya Writing. Read: Coe, pp. 229-241; S&M, Chap. 13; C&VS, Chap. 2 (on reserve and Blackboard). Discussion: Maya Queens? Classic Gender Narratives. Read: ER – “Women-Men (and Men-Women): Classic Maya Rulers and the Third Gender,” M. Looper, 2002. Th, 4/03 Sacred Cities and Divine Kings: Palenque and Copán. Discussion: How were Maya Societies Organized? Read: KRH, Chap. 8. ER – “Rethinking Ancient Maya Social Organization: Replacing ‘Lineage’ with ‘House’,” S. Gillespie, 2000. T, 4/08 The Changing Politics of the Late and Terminal Classic: Bonampak, the Puuc Florescence, and Collapse. Read: Coe, Chap. 6. Discussion: Collapse and Galactic Polities. Read: S&M, Chap. 14. Discussion: Apocalypto and Gibson’s Vision of the Maya? Extra Credit (see below) must be posted 24 hours before class. Th, 4/10 Migration, Socio-cultural Transformation, Reconstitution and Conflict: the Epiclassic – Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. Read: C&K, Chap. 7; S&M, Chap. 16. Discussion: Cholula as Sacred Landscape. Read: KRH, Chap. 11. T, 4/15 Militarism and the Toltecs: Tula and Chichén Itzá. Read: C&K, Chap. 8; Coe, Chap. 7. Discussion: Rethinking Chichén Itzá. Read: KRH, Chap. 12. Th, 4/17 Alliances and City States in Southern Mexico: the Postclassic Mixtecs. Read: C&K, Chap. 9; S&M, Chap. 17. Discussion: Gender Roles in Postclassic Oaxaca. Read: ER - “Engendering Tomb 7 at Monte Albán: Respinning an Old Yarn” (with CA comment), S. McCafferty and G. McCafferty, 1994. ER - “The Perils of ‘Politically Correct’ Anthropology,” K. Flannery and J. Marcus, 1994. T, 4/22 Aztec Society and the Capital of Tenochtitlán: Propaganda, Politics and The Triple 4 Alliance. Read: S&M, Chap. 9; C&K, Chap. 10. Discussion: The origin of Snake Mountain. Read: KRH, Chap. 2. Th, 4/24 Blood and Flowers: The Aztecs in 1519.
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