Syllabus

= Required Text: = Evans, Susan Toby. //Ancient Mexico and Central America: Archaeology and Culture History.// New York: Tham es & Hudson; 3rd edition. 2013. Print. (**ISBN-10:** 0500290652; **ISBN-13:** 978-0500290651) Available in the Bookstore or Amazon. Note you need 3rd edition not 2nd. AM = Ancient Mexico textbook

= Week 1. Aug 14 & Aug 19 & Aug 21 =

Why and how to study New World Civilizations?

 * Topic # 1 Mesoamerica as a Culture Area
 * Topic # 2 Rank Society -> Chiefdoms -> Kings
 * Topic # 3 Rise of Agriculture and Village Life

B. PROJECT 1: DATA ANALYSIS AND WRITE-UP AND CONCLUSIONS DUE BY MIDTERM || 20% 20% || C. PROJECT 2: DATA ANALYSIS AND WRITE-UP AND CONCLUSIONS DUE BY END OF SEMESTER || 20% 20% ||
 * A. Class participation (discussions, group presentations, reading, preparation for class, written responses to assigned questions || 20%  ||
 * B. PROJECT 1: DATA PRESENTATION (CONTEXT DEVELOPMENT, VARIABLES)
 * C. PROJECT 2: DATA PRESENTATION (CONTEXT DEVELOPMENT, VARIABLES)

Grading Scale: 100-90 = A; 89-80=B; 79-70=C; 69-60=D; Below 60=E.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
Week 1. Topics: Overview: syllabus/course activities
 * Syllabus review, class protocols, assessment
 * Textbook overview

Chapter 1. Mesoamerica: geography/history/culture
 * A. Textbook Reading**

Wright, Henry T. //'Recent Research on the Origin of the State.'// Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 6: 379-397. 1977.
 * B. Theory Reading: Rank Societies → Chiefdoms**

Weeks 2, 3, 4 Topics: Ranked Societies in Mesoamerica Valley of Oaxaca: Early Formative: San Jose Mogote---> Monte Alban Chapter 4. The Initial Formative (2000 – 1200 BC). General Review of this early period and Mesoamerican adaptations to an agricultural.way of life relying on maize production.
 * A. Textbook Reading**

Steponaitis, Vincas. '//Settlement Hierarchies and Political Complexity in Nonmarket Societies: The Formative Period of the Valley of Mexico.'// American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 83, No. 2: 320-363. Jun., 1981.
 * B. Theory Reading**

Kent V. Flannery and Marcus C. Winter. //Chapter 2. Analyzing Household Activities//. In T__he Early Mesoamerican Village__: 34-45. Edited by Kent V. .Flannery, and Jeremy A. Sabloff. Academic Press. 1976. Web..

Feinman, Gary and Lisa Nicholas. //High Intensity Household Scale Production in Ancient Mesoamerica.//

Week 5, 6, 7: Topics: Mesoamerica's First Civilization: Gulf Coast Olmec (Early/Middle Formative – 1200 – 600 BC) Ch. 5 The Olmecs: Early Formative (c. 1500/1200–900/800 BC) 133 - 162 - Ch.6 The Olmecs: Middle Formative (c. 900–600 BC) 163 -188 -
 * A. Textbook Readings**

Rosenswig, Robert M**. '**//Chapter 5: Agriculture and Monumentality in the Soconusco Region of Chiapas, Mexico.'// Early New World Monumentality. Edited by Richard L. Burger and Robert M. Rosenswig. University of Florida Press. 2012. Web.
 * B. Theory Reading**
 * Topic 1: States and Monumental Architecture & Symbols & Iconography**

Clark, J. E. '//The Arts of Government in Early Mesoamerica'// Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 26: 211-2341. 1997.

Topic 2: Origins of Writing
Justeson, John S. //'The origin of writing systems: Preclassic Mesoamerica.'// World Archaeology Vol. 17 (3): 437 - 458. 1986. Web.

Houston, Stephen D. '//The Archaeology of Communication Technologies.//' Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 33: 223-250. 2004. Web.

Marcus, Joyce. '//The Origins of Mesoamerican Writing'// Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 5: 35-67. 1976. Web.

[Schmandt-Besserat, Denise 'T//he Emergence of Recording.'// American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 84, No. 4:871-878. 1982.Web.] Exam 1. Take Home Weeks 8, 9, 10. Topic: City Life in Teotihuacan,Valley of Mexico. Ch. 10 Teotihuacan and its international influence (AD 250/300–600) 267 -296.
 * A. Textbook Readings**

Manzanilla, Linda. //'Corporate Groups and Domestic Activities at Teotihuacan.'// Latin American Antiquity, Vol. 7, No. 3: 228-246. 1996. Weeks 11, 12, 13: Mayan Civilization Ch. 11. The Maya in the Early Classic (AD250–600) 299 **-** 324
 * B. Theory readings**
 * A. Textbook Readings**
 * Topic: Early classic: Maya Lowlands**


 * Maya Writing:** []
 * Mayan Temples: click**[| here]

Government: Barbara Fash, et al .//Investigations of a Classic Maya Council House at Copán, Honduras.// Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Winter, 1992): 419-442.
 * Theory Readings**

Ch. 12. The Lowland Maya: apogee and collapse (AD 600–900) 317
 * Topic: Late classic: Maya Lowlands**

Inomata, Takeshi and Laura R. Stiver //Floor Assemblages from Burned Structures at Aguateca, Guatemala: A Study of Classic Maya Households.// Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 431-452.
 * Theory Readings **

Ch. 14. The Maya in the Terminal Classic and Early Post-Classic (AD 800–1200): 377-385
 * Topic: Lowlands: Puuc Maya**

Weeks 14, 15. Tenochtitlan (Mexico City): Aztec Civilization Ch. 17 The Aztecs: An Empire is Born (AD 1430 - 1455) pg 435 – 456. Ch. 19 The Aztec Empire at its height (AD 1481–1519)
 * Theory Readings**
 * TBA**
 * A. Textbook Readings**

TBA Final Project due
 * B. Historic Accounts/Readings**