| Class Information:
Anthro. 8, Section 2078
Room: ArtB 305
M, W 1:00 pm - 2:25 PM
Syllabus:
Spring 2012 Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica Dr. Blair Gibson
Phone:(310) 532-3670 x 3580 email: dbgibson@elcamino.edu
Office: ArtB 330 D Faculty webpage: www.elcamino.edu/faculty/dbgibson/index.html
Office hrs: M T 8:30-9:00 AM; M W 2:30-3:30 PM; TTH 2:00-3:00 PM
Textbooks: Ancient Mexico and Central America;Susan Toby Evans
Popol Vuh; Dennis Tedlock, translator
Reserve Readings: see accompanying list.
Course resources: Syllabi, handouts, and Powerpoint lectures can be viewed and
downloaded on the class web page, accessed through my faculty index page.
Copies of the textbooks are on reserve in the library in the reserve reading
area.
3 units; 3 hours lecture
Recommended Preparation: eligibility for English 1A
Credit, degree applicable transfer CSU, UC
Course Description: this course constitutes a survey of the indigenous cultures of
Mesoamerica (the region stretching from northern Mexico to Honduras and
Guatemala), from the Formative Period up to the Spanish conquest.
Course Objectives
1. Compare and contrast the varying traces
that societies of differing levels of social complexity have left in the
archaeological record of Mesoamerica.
2. Identify the territory of Mesoamerica on a map of North and Central
America and describe its climates and topography.
3. Identify and explain the differences between a language, language
family, proto-language, and language isolate with Mesoamerican examples.
4. List the major Mesoamerican hieroglyphic scripts, and discuss the
major characteristics of Mesoamerican hieroglyphic languages.
5. Assess the geological, linguistic and archaeological evidence
supporting the positions taken by different groups of scientists for the timing
of the first movement of humans into the New World.
6. Delineate and assess the evolution of subsistence strategies in Mesoamerica from the Upper Paleolithic Period to the
beginning of the Formative Period.
7. Outline the development of the complex societies along the Gulf of Mexico and analyze the principal features of the
religion of the Olmecs that have survived in the archaeological record.
8. Describe the Formative Period peoples located along the Gulf Coast,
in Guerrero, the Puebla/Morelos Basin, and along the Pacific Coast of Chiapas.
9. Determine and examine the localities where archaeologists have found
remains of the first Mayan chiefdoms and states.
10. Outline and evaluate early Mayan cosmology.
11. Analyze the relationship between the natural resources of the Petén
demography and the stability of the states of the Classical Period of the Maya.
12. Describe and evaluate the type of organization during the Classical
Period of Mayan society.
13. Describe the shifting patterns of settlement in the Valley of Oaxaca during the Formative Period and examine the evolution in public architecture.
14. Evaluate the ecological parameters for human settlement in the Valley of Mexico and the role played by ecology and volcanism in the trajectory of development of the larger communities in the
basin during the Formative Period.
15. Discuss and assess the organization of the city of Teotihuacan and the theories archaeologists
have proposed concerning the functions of its ritual buildings.
16. Outline and assess the history of the empire of Teotihuacan
from both Mayan texts and the archaeological record of Teotihuacan.
17. Analyze the culture of the Chichimec peoples of Northern Mexico
from the remains of their centers at Alta Vista, La Quemada, Tollan, and Tenochtitlan.
18. Describe the rise to prominence of the Mexica (Aztecs) based on
ethnohistoric sources.
19. Identify and evaluate the structural weaknesses of the Mexica state
that made it vulnerable to conquest by the Spanish under Cortés.
Student Learning
Outcome
After completing this class the student will know that Mesoamerica is an ancient
cultural region that encompasses Northern, central and southern Mexico, Guatemala,
Honduras, Belize, and El Salvador.
ADA
Statement: El Camino College is committed to providing educational accommodations for
students with disabilities upon the timely request by the student to the
instructor. A student with a disability, who would like to request an academic
accommodation, is responsible for identifying herself/himself to the instructor
and to the Special Resources Center. To make arrangements for academic
accommodations, contact the Special Resources Center.
Course requirements
A
student's grade will rest on four, non-cumulative exams involving multiple choice
and matching type questions and six quizzes intended to acquaint students with
class policies, familiarize them with the readings, and to prepare students for
the exams. Each exam will be 75 questions long, and each question will be worth
1 point, and the quizzes will range from 10 - 20 points, so the potential
number of points achieved for the semester is 370. The exams will cover
lectures, readings (including reserve readings), and films. The grade scale for
the tests will be based upon the highest grade achieved on the test. Grade
boundaries will be 90%, 80%, 70% etc. of that score.
Make-ups: Quizzes
cannot be made up under any conditions. Exams, with the exception of
the final exam, may only be made up under the following conditions: 1) the
reason for missing the exam is very serious or a school-sanctioned
activity, and it is documentable, 2) the instructor has been contacted on the
day of the crisis or before. 3) Documentation of the problem is furnished
to me prior to taking the make-up. Make-ups may only be taken in my office
during my office hours. I will not turn back test results until all make-ups have been completed. I will only delay
returning exams to students one class meeting to allow time for make-ups.
Extra
credit: Students are encouraged to do extra-credit assignments. See guidelines for
details. No extra
credit presentations or submissions will be allowed during the 15th-16th
week. Students will be excluded from earning extra credit for excessive unexcused absences (2 weeks) and tardies,
and for excessive absences of any kind equal to three weeks of instruction.
Student
responsibilities
Full
participation is expected from the participants in this course. This responsibility entails
attending class meetings and reading the assigned materials. There are
consequences for not living up to these responsibilities:
Attendance - I take attendance at the beginning of the period. I don't adjust attendance retroactively, so if a student is late
and misses roll, it is the student's responsibility to seek a correction on
the day of the tardy. A student who is absent on a given day is still responsible for what transpired in class on that day. Missing class often means
not receiving materials, like study guides. The student is to come to the
instructor's office during the office hour to obtain any handout or unclaimed
work a student has missed due to an absence. Attendance will figure into my grading at the end of term if the grade is borderline. I consider absences exceeding a week to be excessive.
Students whose total of unexcused absences and tardies exceeds two weeks
will be barred from extra credit. A tardy counts as ½ unexcused absence.
Laptop
computers and cell phones
- use of these devices is not allowed during the class period.
Unrighteous
behavior - if you wish for me to waiting for you at grade time with vengeance in my heart,
then do any of the following 1) leave the classroom while lecture is in
progress, and for added effect, cross directly in front of me to make sure I
lose my train of thought. If you do this I
will deduct 20 points from your score, and record you as absent for the day.
2) read a newspaper, talk to your neighbor or sleep while lecture is in
progress. 3) take a cell phone call while class is in progress. These are all
effective ways of communicating to me your interest level in the class, and
your respect for me as a teacher.
Cheating:
I don't fool around with those who cheat. Cheating includes copying off
another's test or downloading content from the internet without attribution.
Learn the consequences at your peril!
Drops - Generally speaking, I will
automatically drop anyone with two consecutive week's worth of absences. I may
also drop anyone whose point total falls to more than 30 points below passing
(after discussing the situation with the affected student). However, oversights
occur, so ultimately it is the responsibility of the student to withdraw from
the class if the student wishes to do so.
Incompletes - an incomplete will only
be given to a student caught in the throes of a crisis not related to
class performance. I will not give an incomplete if the student has missed or
cannot take the final at the scheduled time except in cases of medical or
family emergency.
Grade Reporting - all scores will be
posted on Gradebook during the semester.
Letters
of recommendation
- I will not agree to write a letter of recommendation for a
student who has not completed a course with me. Better letters generally
result from the student having had several courses with me, especially my
Museum Studies course. If a student would have gotten a C or D grade in a
course, but received an A or B due to completing extra credit work, the letter
will reflect these facts.
*****If you have any special problems or pressures, please discuss them with me as soon as you can,
not at the end of the term!
Week Topics
Readings
________________________________________________Evans_______Tedlock_____
1
Sources for the reconstruction of American Civilizations: Chpt. 1/Introduction 21-30
History, Ethnohistory, Linguistics, and Archaeology
Introduction to archaeological concepts and
chronology
Introduction to anthropological concepts
and social evolution
2 The Americas: geography, settlement, and the transition Chpts. 2 & 3
to a food-producing economy.
3 & 4 Quiz #1 on the syllabus Monday February 27th
The Formative: The emergence and spread of
the "Olmec" culture. Chpts. 4 & 5
Formative
Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos, Basin of Mexico, West Mexico, and Guerrero
Quiz #2 Wednesday February 29th
Test #1 Wednesday March 7th
5 Middle to Late Formative Chpts. 6 & 7
The Valley
of Oaxaca and the rise of Monte Albán
6 & 7 The
Basin of Mexico:
Cuicuilco and Teotihuacan Chpts. 8 & 9
Mayan beginnings: Abaj Takalik, Uaxactún, Kaminaljuyú,
El Mirador and Cerros,
8 Pre-Classic Mayan Civilization: San Bartolo
and the Popol Vuh Chpt 11
Tedlock: Introduction: 30-60 Parts 1-4
Quiz #3 Wednesday April 4th
9 The Zapotec State: Monte Albán, the Teuchitlán tradition, Cholula, Chpt.
8 & 9
the birth of Teotihuacan.
Quiz #4 on the Popol Vuh Monday April 16th
Test # 2
Wednesday April 18th
10 The Empire of Teotihuacan Chpt. 10
11 Classic Mayan Civilization: The Peten Chpt. 12
A typical Mayan community: Cerén
The Classic lowland Maya collapse
Quiz
#5 Wednesday May 2nd
12 The collapse of the
Classic Mesoamerican States Chpt. 13
The evolution of Chichimec civilization
Test # 3
Wednesday May 9th
13 The Toltecs and Tula
Chpt 15
Post-Classic Mayan states Chpt. 16 /Tedlock Part 5
14 &15 The Post Classic: The Aztec Empire
Chpts. 17 & 18
Quiz #6 Wednesday May 30th
16 The Aztec Empire in the time of Cortés Chpts. 19 & 20
Final Exam Wednesday June 6th
Assistance:
Extra Credit Guidelines Dr. Gibson
As I value a strong work ethic, students are encouraged to improve their scores through extra-credit work. I keep a running tally of extra credit points at the far column of my grade book. These are added to a student's point total after I have calculated the semester grade scale. The effect that extra credit points have on a student's grade depends upon where they stand with respect to grade boundaries, and how much extra credit work has been done.
No presentations or any other submissions will be allowed during the final two weeks of class.
There are three ways to earn extra credit:
1) I believe that rather than being a purely solitary exercise - the knowledge that the student gains should be shared with the class. Extra credit can therefore take the form of a short (c. 5 min.) oral presentation on something the student has come across in the media that is relevant to the course material. This exercise benefits both the student (gaining confidence in public speaking), and the class. Yes, this also means that written reports are not acceptable. Any of the following may be turned to as a source: a recent newspaper or magazine article, a book, a film or TV program, a relevant museum exhibit, or a public lecture on a topic relevant to the class. Things culled from internet media outlets are ok, too, except as noted below
Exclusions:
It is not a term paper or research project. This means that reports on old books, chapters from textbooks, or on a topic that you have researched will not be allowed. Please don't go to the library and dig up something arcane or obscure from a scientific journal. It should be something that the class can easily relate to, and relevant to some aspect of the course material; e.g. in the case of physical anthropology, no dinosaurs, please. The article must be from a publication that appeared this year, preferably within the last few months. Promotional internet press releases, internet summaries of full length articles, informational texts from institutional web sites, and encyclopedia entries are not ok. Anything from the web should be about four pages long minimum. Finally, extra credit means doing extra work, so reports drawn from your life experiences, however interesting, are not allowed.
Please clear whatever it is you are considering with me prior to class, and give me an idea what you are going to say or do. Please, no DVD's. The presentation should ideally be 5 minutes or under. Please retain a copy of the article you presented, initialed by myself, in case there is a question about your extra-credit points at the end of term
Points and limitations: I will give 10 points per presentation. Students are limited to 1 presentation per class meeting, and no more than three presentations total will be allowed. Students may not duplicate the presentation of another student.
2) An officially sanctioned visit or excursion to a relevant museum exhibit, conference, symposium, ritual gathering, public lecture, collection of primates, or archaeological site. Trips made by the anthropology club often do fall into this category, and can earn the participant points.
The visit must be sanctioned by myself before points will be allocated. Do not go to something and expect it to be retroactively sanctioned. Sanctioning depends upon its relevance to the class. The number of points awarded is variable, depending upon the distance the student traveled in order to participate, and the cost of the event to the student.
Submit a one-page, typed description of the museum exhibit with the ticket attached.
3) Attending a free department-sponsored lecture. As these are free and occur on campus. 5 pts. are awarded per lecture. In order to gain credit, the student must submit a 1 page typed summary of the lecture. This summary must reach me within a week of the event.
A word of advice: Don't wait until the last minute to do extra credit. The reasons are: 1) the instructor may be absent on the last day when presentations are allowed. 2) Many other people do this, and they may have the same article to read, and only one person can present any one article. Finally, 3) articles don't always conveniently present themselves in moments of desperation.
Finally, extra credit is meant to be an assist to students who are otherwise making an effort to do well in the class, it is not meant to be a means of compensating for poor attendance. Therefore, students with an excess of two week's worth of unexcused absences will be barred from acquiring additional extra credit points. Students will also be barred from earning extra credit if they disrupt class with tardies - arriving at class after role taking has ended. Each tardy will count as ½ unexcused absence.
Relevant Institutions (by discipline). You may only visit an institution for credit that corresponds to the class that you are enrolled in.
Physical Anthropology (Anthropology 1): San Diego Museum of Man
Southern California Primate Research Forum (scprf.ucsc.edu)
Gibbon Conservation Center (gibboncenter.org)
Cultural Anthropology (Anthropology 2):
Fowler Museum of Cultural History/ Fowler Museum at UCLA
Bowers Museum of Cultural Art (www.bowers.org). Address: 2002 N. Main St. Santa Ana
San Diego Museum of Man
Autry National Center/Southwest Museum of the American Indian (This building
may not be finished yet, call for an update-don't go to the cowboy part!).
Pacific Asia Museum
Japanese American Museum, Chinese American Museum - both in downtown LA
Archaeology (Anthropology 3): UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology (www.ioa.ucla.edu)
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (archaeology exhibits only)
Bowers Museum of Cultural Art (call ahead to enquire about archaeology-themed
exhibits).
Getty Center in Malibu (not the one in the Sepulveda pass, unless there is an
archaeology exhibit).
Pacific Asia Museum
Course Material:
Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica – Reserve Reading List
These readings cover the first three weeks of class
Flannery, Kent V.
1976 ‘Research strategy and formative Mesoamerica,’ in Kent V. Flannery (ed.) The Early Mesoamerican Village, pp. 1-8. New York: Academic Press.
Justeson, John S. and George A. Broadwell
1996 ‘Language and Languages in Mesoamerica,’ in Robert M. Carmak and Janine
Gasco (eds.) The Legacy of Mesoamerica, pp. 379-405. Concentrate on pgs. 379-383 and 397-405.
Joralemon, Peter David 1996 ‘In search of the Olmec Cosmos: Reconstructing the world view of Mexico’s first civilization,’ in Elizabeth P. Benson and Beatriz de la Fuente (eds.), Olmec Art in Ancient Mexico, pp. 51-59. Washington DC: National Gallery of Art.
Cyphers, Ann 1996 ‘Reconstructing Olmec life at San Lorenzo,’ in Elizabeth P. Benson and Beatriz de la Fuente (eds.), Olmec Art in Ancient Mexico, pp. 61-71. Washington DC: National Gallery of Art.
Lauck, Rebecca González 1996 ‘La Venta: an Olmec capital,’ in Elizabeth P. Benson and Beatriz de la Fuente (eds.), Olmec Art in Ancient Mexico, pp. 73-81. Washington DC: National Gallery of Art.
Anthropology 8 Study Guide for Test #1
Readings: Evans: Chpts. 1-3 Read and be familiar with the content of all boxes in the textbook: e.g. Man's Best Friend, Shamanism, Maguey; The first two readings on supplemental reading list. Tedlock: Introduction.
Weeks 1 &2
Terms: language family, proto-language, language isolate, lineage, logogram, obsidian, basalt, cinnabar, hematite, jade, serpentine, turquoise, metate, mano, comal, earthenware, terra cotta, spondylus, site, feature, monument, provenience, radiocarbon, seriation, ethnohistory, ethnohistorian, epigraphy, epigrapher.
Concepts: levels of socio-cultural integration (pg.s 24-25): family level, segmentary society, chiefdom, primitive state; ritual homicide, normative approach, language family, language isolate.
Techniques: glottochronology
Specific languages or language families: Nahuatl, Uto-Aztecan, Tarascan, Mayan, Mixe-Zoquean, Proto-Zoquean
What are the sources for the reconstruction of ancient Mesoamerican cultures? Where would you look for them? What are their biases and why are they sometimes difficult to interpret?
What dating technique is most commonly used. What were the various stone/mineral types enumerated above used for, and where did they come from?
What are the characteristics that unify Mesoamerica culturally, that make up the "Grand Tradition?" Which countries and parts of countries are included in this area?
Flannery article: What are the differences between how archaeology was practiced before the 1960's and after the 1960's? What were the defects in the way archaeologists were trained? What were the deficiencies in how the RMA approached fieldwork, as expressed by the SGS? What is a "normative" approach to archaeology? Did the RMA's excavation techniques yield the desired results?
What are the implications when the territory of a language is small or large? What is the significance of a language isolate? How can languages be used to reconstruct past population movements? How can you tell where a language group came from? What are the principles of glottochronology? What is the support for the hypothesis concerning the language of the Olmecs put forward by Kaufman?
What do the terms used to demarcate units of archaeological time (Prelclassic, etc.) in Mesoamerica reflect?
Week 3
Concepts: family-level society, segmentary society, chiefdom, chieftain, achieved social status, ascribed social status, ancestor veneration, ritual homicide, prestige objects, sumptuary rules, staple finance, aristocracy, settlement hierarchy, overkill hypothesis; comet extinction hypothesis, scale, social complexity, situational leadership, craft specialization.
Terms: clan, lineage, descent group, priest, shaman, craft specialist.
Sites: Meadowcroft rock shelter, Monte Verde, Arlington Springs, Deborah L. Friedkin site.
Industries: pre-Clovis, Colvis
Be familiar with the characteristics of the major physiognomic regions discussed in Evans (Chpt. 2) and in class. What constraints did geography impose on the development of Mesoamerican cultures?
What is the most commonly accepted chronological estimate for the entry of humans into the New World? How did they get here? What was the lifestyle and social structure of the earliest group? What activity do Clovis points represent? How were they made? How did the activities of early hunters lead to both dietary change and repercussions for later domestication?
Week 4
Scholars: Jared Diamond, Richard "Scotty" MacNeish, Kent Flannery
Terms: pit house, sedentism, shaman
Projects: Tehuacán Archaeological Botanical Project, Oaxaca Human Ecology Project
Sites: Coxcatlán, Gheo-Shih, Zohapilco, Guilá Naquitz
Plants: amaranth, maguey, black sapote, maize, teosinte, pod corn, avocado, beans,
squash, gourd
Animals: dog, turkey
Where was the evidence for the earliest house found? When were the earliest villages established?
What were the patterns of plant and animal domestication in the New World, e.g. what kinds of organisms were domesticated first? Why was the pattern so different from the course of domestication in the Old World? Where was the best archaeological evidence for domestication found? What have been the contributions of genetics to resolving the pathways of domestication for various species?
What changes occurred to make maize a usable domesticate? How does native Mesoamerican maize differ from modern sweet corn? How is it typically grown, prepared, and eaten?
What did the evidence from Guilá Naquitz say about the role that early domesticated plants played in the changing subsistence economy? Why did humans adopt domesticates? Which were adopted first?
What role did the dog play in Mesoamerica? What were a shaman's job qualifications?
Tedlock
Where were the complex Mayan societies located when the Spanish arrived? What are the surviving sources of information for the Maya? What kinds of information did Mayan books contain? What were the circumstances of the Popol Vuh's creation? How did the Quiché view myth and history (pg. 59)?
Ancient Civilizations Study Guide for Test #2
of Mesoamerica
Movie: Excavations at La Venta; Dawn of the Maya
Chapters in the Textbook: 4-8.
The remaining readings on the reserve list.
Week 5 Chpts. 4, 5, & 6
Regions: Soconusco, Gulf Coast, Valley of Oaxaca, the
Basin of Mexico, Gulf Lowlands, Puebla/Morelos Basin
Sites: El Manatí, Paso de la Amada, La Venta, San Lorenzo, Tres Zapotes, Chalcatzingo, Tlatilco,
Teopantecuanitlán, San José Mogote, Juxtlahuaca, El Azuzul, Abaj Takalik,
Izapa, La Mojarra, Cantón Corralito
Monuments: Cascajal block, Las Limas monument 1, Chalcatzingo: monuments 9, 12, 21; La Mojarra stela, Tuxtla statuette, La Venta: monument 19, altar 4,
Structures: San José Mogote structure 1, sunken patio complex at Topantecuantitlán, Tierras
Largas structure 1
Regions: Soconusco, Gulf Coast (Tobasco/Veracruz),
Montagua Valley
Scholars: Robert Heizer, Philip Drucker, Mathew Stirling, David Joralemon, Ann Cyphers, Rebecca González Lauck, John E. Clark,Kent Flannery, Miguel Covarrubias, John Clark, David Grove, Hector Neff,
Richard Hansen.
Concepts: Pan-Mesoamerican interaction sphere,
Mesoamerican "Grand Tradition," "Mother Culture," shamanic death and vision
quests, quincunx.
Terms: Isthmian
Projects: San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan Archaeological Project, excavations at La Venta.
Monument types: colossal heads, "altars",
sunken courts, pyramids, stelae (La Mojarra, Izapa, Chalcatzingo), Guerrro
pictographs (Oxtotitlan), Chalcatzingo pectoglyphs.
Olmec deities: were-jaguar, bird monster, earth
monster, fire serpent, fish monster, banded-eye god, hero twins, maize god.
Olmec symbols: kah cross, St. Andrew's cross, cleft
head, bundle, Atlantean figures, flaming eyebrows, greenstone celts.
Olmec objects: mirrors, masks, emblems of office,
wooden statues, inscribed stone mask, piercers, rubber balls.
Rituals: Mesoamerican ball game, child sacrifice, autosacrifice of blood, buried caches
and monuments at La Venta.
Features: figurine assemblage at La Venta, buried
offerings at La Venta, drains, El Azuzul tableau arrangement, La Venta pyramid,
cache 4 at La Venta, stela, bas relief art and temple at Chalcatzingo, dam at
Teopantecuanitlán.
What is the support for claim that the script on the
Cascajal block represents a written text? Can the Isthmian script be read or
linked to any known spoken language? What is the theory of Justeson and Kaufman
concerning this script? Be familiar with the history of research at the sites
listed above, and how data from them has contributed to our understanding of
early Mesoamerica. How do the past foci of scholars on the "Olmec"
problem differ from the foci of present scholars? How did poor techniques lead
to missed data? Why did past scholars link the Olmec with the Maya? What is the
Mokaya migration theory and what is its current status?
How has thinking changed on the nature and significance of
Formative period centers? Which technological advance led to cultural complexity in Guerrero? What resources did Teopantecuanitlán exert control over? What had to happen before complex
polities appeared in the Gulf Coast? Why is it that it took so long to recognize formative gulf coast houses? From where did the Gulf coast polities obtain their basalt, jade, and serpentine? What was the original function of the various classes of Olmec sculpture? Which mythic figures can we
recognize in the the El Azuzul assemblage? What are the various theories about
the significance of Olmec symbols?
What is Olmec "culture" or "art" presently thought to represent? Of what significance is it to later cultural
developments in Mesoamerica - for instance
which Olmec beliefs are thought to have persisted beyond the collapse of the
Preclassic centers? Be familiar with
Joralemon's theories about Olmec relgion: e.g. what does he think are the
attributes of the deities he identifies? How are Olmec sites cosmological maps?
What level of sociocultural development did formative/preclassic polities
achieve? What is the evidence for this interpretation?
Which theory concerning the spread of Olmec culture does the
site of Cantón Corralito strengthen?
What does the art at Chalcatzingo tell us about the early outlines
of Mesoamerican religion? On the evidence of the cave art from Guerrero, from
what beliefs did early chieftains derive their power?
Box: Jade (chpt. 5)
Box: What is Civilization (chpt. 5)
Box: Colossal Heads (chpt. 5)
Chpt. 7
Regions: Valley of Oaxaca inc. Etla arm, Pueblo/Morelos basin
Sites: San José Mogote, Chalcatzingo,
Kaminaljuyú, Takalik Abaj, El Baul, Chalcatzingo.
Monuments: San José Mogote monument 3, Kaminaljuyú stela 9, Izapa stela 5, Takalik Abaj stela
27, Bilbao monument 21.
Concept: corporate labor.
Rituals: masked boxing.
Symbols: breath scrolls.
What was the nature of "Olmec" influence? What is
the basis of the conclusion that the figures in the Chalcatzingo petroglyph "Marching
Olmecs" and Oxacan "danzante" figures are sacrificial victims? What are the
features of early depictions of Chaak?
Oaxaca
Term: sipapú, danzante
Which ethnic group lived in the Valley of Oaxaca
in historic times? How was the valley organized in the Rosario phase? What evidence for warfare was
found at San José Mogote? What is the significance of changes in ritual
architecture over time? Which religious practices supported the political
hierarchy? What departure from pre-existing social conditions did the founding
of Monte Albán signify? Which
technological advances helped to sustain the population at Monte Albán? Can we
read their hieroglyphic language?
Box: Divinatory Almanac.
Box: Exchange and marketplace systems.
Box: Chocolate
Chpt. 8 The Mayan Formative or PreClassic (see also Chpt.
9 pg. 137 for discussion of E group at Uaxacatún)
Concepts: intensification, sustainability, horticulture.
Mayan Supernaturals: Chaak, Maize God; Itzam Naj, the Wakah
Chan, the Celestial/cosmic Bird, the lords of Xibalbá, jaguars, maize god,
turtle, sky serpent, vision serpent.
Mayan languages - what does the pattern of the distribution
of Maya languages tell us about Mayan origins and migration? What are the
principle cultural zones of the Maya? What was the spoken language of the
hieroglyphic system of writing?
Formative
Pacific Coast chiefdoms: Izapa, Takalik
Abaj, El Baúl,
What are the identifiable Mayan elements that appear in
these centers? What are the commonalities of early Mayan centers of the Pacific
coast of the Chiapas
with the ceremonial centers of the Olmec of the Gulf lowlands? What are the
theories regarding the orientation of these centers? What aspects of classic
Mayan civilization have not yet appeared? Which gods are (possibly) identifiable
on the stealae of these sites? How are elites depicted? What is the Izapa
style?
Formative Highland zone: Kaminaljuyú.
Where is Kaminajuyú located? Who excavated the site? Why did
this particular site attain prominence? How do the elite burials prefigure the
burial customs of later Mayan kings? In what way does the art of the monuments
change from the preceding Izapa style?
When did Kaminaljuyu hit its peak? What role did
agricultural intensification play in Kaminaljuyu's expansion? What is the
significance of the Motagua Valley?
The Petén
Term: chinampas
Uaxactún - Who excavated at Uaxactún? What was the
significance of E- VII-sub? What is an E group (see Chpt. 9 pg. 237)?
Nakbé - Some of the earliest elements of classical Mayan
civilization were found at this site - what were they?
San Bartolo - Who discovered the mural at the site? What is
depicted in the mural? What did the mural add to our understanding of Olmec
religion? How did early Mayan leaders represent themselves?
El Mirador - Why is this site especially significant? For
what kind of political system was El Mirador the capital? What drew Richard
Hansen to excavate there? What is his theory about the possible identity of the
site? Who was he looking for? What is his theory about why such an important
settlement was abandoned? Do the features of the site indicate that the early
Maya were peaceful of warlike? Which possibly false assumption did Hansen make
about Mayan burial practices?
Features: El Tigre complex, El Dante
Cerros - Who excavated Cerros? Where is it located? What is
significant about its location? What dramatic societal transformation occurred
at Cerros? Why did it happen? In what way was the first temple at Cerros a
cosmological map? For what kind of ritual was it used? (A similar structure was
found at Cival) What are Mayan
jewels? Who is the "jester god" and what does his presence signify? What
form of agricultural intensification was practiced at both Cerros and El
Mirador?
K'axob - What religious practice did Patricia McAnnany document at K'axob?
Box: Cosmetic Alterations
Box: Calendrics
Study Guide for Test #3
Ancient Civilizations of the Americas
Study help: ASU Teotihuacan web site: address archaeology.asu.edu
go to the menu and click on online exhibits, and then click Mesoamerica.
Also check out the web site on the work in the Tequila Valley - use Phil
Weigand or Guachimontón with your browser.
Presentation: Ulama
Evans: Chpt. 7
Oaxaca pp. 189-193 - Monte Albán I
What social changes does the creation of the center on Monte Albán represent?
Read also: the tortilla.
Evans: Chpt. 8
The early Basin of
Mexico, including Cuicuilco pp. 204-212.
Projects: Basin of Mexico survey, Teotihuacan Mapping Project, the ASU project.
Archaeologists: Leopoldo Batres, William Sanders, Jeffery
Parsons, Robert Santley, René Millon, Sabaru Sugiyama, Reuben Cabrera
Sites: Cuicuilco, Teotihuacan,
Concepts: nagualism, entrepôt
Deities: Tlaloc, Huehueteotl
Localities within Teotihuacan: pyramids of the sun and moon,
La Ciudadela, The Feathered Serpent temple, the Merchants and Oaxaca barrios,
Techinantitla, Tepantitla, and Atetelco compounds
What was the demographic structure of the Basin of Mexico
in the late Formative period? Which towns were the first to emerge as political
centers in the Basin
of Mexico in the early
Classical Period? What happened to Cuicuilco? Who was their principal god?
What was the pattern of population growth and political development in the Basin
of Mexico during the Late
Formative? How was Cuicuilco's civic architecture distinctive? Who was
worshipped at their principal pyramid? How did Cuicuilco end?
West Mexico: pp. 212-214.
Box: Chocolate
Ulama: Where did the rubber to make the balls come from? How
were balls made? Where has ulama survived? How do the players dress? What was
the objective of the game? What were the associations of the game? Who could
play? Was the game uniform throughout Mesoamerica?
Chpt. 9
Oaxaca
pp. 240-243
Cuicatlán Cañada -
How did Monte Albán's growth leave a mark on the sites of this valley? What
ethnic group lived in Oaxaca?
Which ethnic group surrounded them? How do we know that Monte Albán's political
influence had spread?
What is the significance of building J and the danzantes?
What can be made of the hieroglyphic language? What is the evidence for
warfare?
West Mexico (pp. 245-248)
Sites: Huitzilapa, Guachimontón, Santa Quitería
Term: Volador
Sub-region: the Tequila valley.
Shaft tombs (see also pgs. 154-6): be aware of the sad
history of archaeological investigations of the shaft tombs.
Teuchitlán tradition: What kind of society was represented
by the tombs? What was found in the tombs? What kinds of figurines have been
found? What are they thought to depict? What is the significance of the Colima
dogs? What insights did Peter Furst gain into the significance of the figurines
by his investigations among the Huichol? What is a Tuki? What is the volador
ritual?
Know also: origins of copper metallurgy, the South American contact hypothesis.
Puebla/Tlaxcala Region
What kind of pottery was the Tepechi region of Puebla famous for?
Basin of Mexico (pp. 253-260)
Terms: chinampa, talud/tablero
Deities: Tlaloc, Xipe Totec
What features and symbols are associated with these deities?
Edifices of
Teotihuacan: Sun Pyramid, Moon Pyramid, Ciudadela, Avenue of the Dead,
Temple of Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent Temple).
What have the explorations of the major monuments of Teotihuacan revealed
about the cosmological beliefs of its inhabitants? What kinds of rituals
accompanied the expansion/dedication of Teotihuacan's monuments?
How did Teotihuacan support itself? Where did water come from for irrigation?
What was the environmental impact of the growth of
population at Teotihuacan
on the valley?
Is there direct evidence for Teotihuacan's political system and military undertakings? Which areas of Mesoamerica came
under their control?
What did Teotihuacanos have to offer the rest of Mesoamerica in trade? From where did they obtain the
materials made into ritual objects? How was the production of goods such as
incensarios and obsidian organized at Teotihuacan?
Chpt. 10 Teotihuacan of the Classic
Period AD 250-600
Archaeologists:
René Millon, Saburo Sugiyama
Edifices:
Adosada, Street of the Dead. Palaces: Street of the Dead complex, ciudadela,
Adosada and Feathered Serpent Temple, pyramids of the Sun and Moon
Artifacts: theater braziers, stone masks, jaw and teeth necklaces.
Symbols: kah cross, trilobe, feet, venus, feathered eye.
Sites and locales:Matacapán, Chingu, Kaminaljuyú, Otumba, Pachuca
Kings and generals: Spearthrower Owl, Siyaj K'ak, Yax Nuun Ayiin
Do we have any ideas about the language(s) spoken by the inhabitants of Teotihuacan?
What was the city plan of Teotihuacan? Where are the compounds of the upper classes located? What do the barrios tell us about the
ethnic constitution of Teotihuacan?
What was found out about the pyramids by the various
excavations that have been conducted?
What do the excavations of compounds tell us about family structure at Teotihuacan?
Know about the construction of theater incensarios and making of Thin Orange pottery.
What was the signature vessel of Teotihuacan (such as found at Kaminaljuyu)?
What happened at
Kaminaljuyú prior to the incursion by Teotihuacan?
What is the evidence for an invasion by Teotihuacanos? Is the evidence clear-cut?
In what manner did the society at Teotihuacan collapse? What are the prevailing theories explaining its end?
West Mexico: pp. 283-284 What is the evidence for the appearance of chiefdoms? Where did
they appear? What is the evidence for contact with Teotihacan?
Oaxaca: Monte Alban III. (pp. 285-87; 371-6)
Religious concepts: nagualism, ancestor veneration
Deities: Cocijo, Cozoli, Piquite Ziña; Elderly God, Xipe
Totec.
Artifacts: Lápida de Bazan.
What was the pattern of population movement in the valley?
What happened to Oaxaca's
political influence outside of the valley?
Deities: Cociyo, ancestor veneration. Structures H and J.
The tombs and residential areas. Where did the rulers of Oaxaca live? Where did Oaxaca's other aristocrats live? How did they represent themselves? What was
their relationship with Teotihuacan?
Ancient Civilizations Final Study Guide
of Mesoamerica
Textbook: Chpts. 11-19, concentrating on the civilizations we have covered in class.
Chpt. 11
The Petén
Tikal aka Yax Mutal
Scholars: Alfred Maudslay, Ed Shook, William Coe, Sylvanus Morley
Precincts and structures: Lost World complex, North Acropolis
Kings: Yax Nuun Ajin, Chak Tok Ich'aak, Siyaj Chan K'awiil II
Tikal - What has epigraphy contributed towards understanding the original name of the the site?
Which scholars visited and excavated at Tikal. What were their motives? In which ways was the investigation at Tikal unique?
Be acquainted with the pattern of growth at Tikal. At which sectors of the site were the earliest traces of settlement found? What was the significance of the Lost World complex? How was it adorned? At what point in the development of Tikal does evidence of ancestor veneration and human sacrifice emerge?
Where were the first kings of Tikal buried? What is the significance of burial 85? What was the significance of the North Acropolis? What was the significance of stela 29? Which religious system does it reflect?
Terms: way, wayob, witz, tun, k'atun, bak'tun (pg. 295), chultun, axe war, star war, hiatus
Teotihuacan invasion: Who was involved? What actions did the invaders take?
Political terms: ahau (ajaw), kalomte, sahal, batab
Calakmul aka Kaan
Features: Structure 2, market murals
What was the relationship of Calakmul to El Mirador? To Tikal? What are the special challenges to reconstructing Calakmul's history? How may we reconstruct the extent of Calakmul's hegemony? What were found in Calakmul's royal burials?
Be acquainted with the geology and climate of the Yucatan peninsula.
Scholars: William Rathje, David Webster
Terms: bajo, milpa, k'atun, sacbe, cenote (dzonot)
Topics: Mayan calendrics, Mayan writing.
Term: logosyllabic
Who were the scribes and readers of Mayan texts?
Copán - The origins and career of Yax K'uk Mo'.
What kinds of goods did Teotihuacan obtain from the Mayan realm?
Chapter 12
Scholars: Jared Diamond, Arthur Demarest
Terms: ajaw/ahau, "axe war," "star war", theater state
Kings: Jasaw Chan K'awiil, Pakal 1
Boxes: Cosmetic alterations
What were the principal activities of Mayan kings? What were the obligations of Mayan nobility? What were their lifestyles like?
Be conversant with the prevailing explanation for the Classic Maya collapse.
How was classical Mayan society organized? What are the leading theories concerning the size and integration of Classical Mayan states?
Tikal: be conversant with the relations that Tikal had with Caracol, Calakmul, and Dos Pilas
Bonampak: What information does the mural relate about Mayan aristocratic rituals and Mayan warfare?
Palenque/Lakamha Where is this site situated? Lady Yohl Ik'nal - why was she so prominent on Palenque's monuments? K'inich Janaab' Pakal I - what were his accomplishments? Which monuments at Palenque are attributed to these personages?
Dos Pilas: be acquainted with the circumstances of its foundation and end.
Copán - why did its society collapse?
Who was Quetzalcoatl/Ehécatl?What are his attributes?
The Olmeca-Xicalanca: Cholula, Cacaxtla, and Xochitecatl. What does the mural evidence say about the cultural affinities of these peoples? Be familiar with the murals such as the battle mural, the mural of god L, and the murals of the Venus god and the mural that possibly depicts Quetzalcoatl. Which evidence has guided interpretations of these murals?
Chapter 13
Terminology: chakmool, Epiclassic
The Chichimecs:
Geography: the Gran Chichimeca, the Turquoise trail.
Linguistics: Uto-Aztecan. Where did farming peoples live in this region?
Culture: Chalchuihites Culture.
Deity: Tezcatlipolca
Sites: Alta Vista and La Quemada. Did Teotihuacan play a role in the development of these sites? Which resources did these sites exploit? What can we reconstruct of their religious practices? What are the contributions of liguistics, Mexica ethnohistory, and Huichol ethnohistory to understanding these sites?
Pottery style: Pseudo-cloisonné
Boxes: What was the Feathered Serpent? Metalworking
Terminology: tzompantli
Chapter 15 Tollan and the Toltecs
Geography: Where is Tollan located?
What is the source of the ethnohistoric information concerning the history of Tollan? What are the limitations of this information? Know the outline of the heroic biography of Ce Acatl Topilzin Quetzalcoatl. Does it present historic facts? What were the effects of Mexica devotion upon the site?
The investigation of Tollan: The investigators: D. Charnay, W. Jiménez, J. Acosta, E.M. Moctezuma, R. Diehl. What were their affiliations, objectives, and discoveries?
Areas: Tula Chico, Tula Grande, El Corral.
Be familiar with the features and discoveries made during the excavations. How were households organized at Tollan? How did the houses and artifacts of the middle class differ from those of the aristocracy? What was the developmental sequence of the site (Tula Chico and Tula Grande)? What was the character of Tollan as a city? How did the archaeological work square with the ethnohistory of the Toltecs?
What are the forms of religious devotion that we can recognize at Tollan? Which gods can we recognize at Tollan?
Did the Toltecs have an empire? With which regions and peoples were they connected? Was there a relationship between Tula and Chichén Itzá? What is the evidence?
Is it agreed that Tula de Allende is Tollan of the Toltecs? Do most scholars agree that the Toltecs really existed?
Boxes: Female Deities, Migrants and Origins
Chapter 16 The Postclassic
Term: Tlatoani, Chicomoztoc, Cemanahuac
Ethnic terms: Mexica, Aztecs, Tarascans, P'urhépecha
Mythic term: Atzlán
Language: Nahuatl, Tarascan
Language group: Nahua
Dieties: Chalchihuitlicue, cihuateotl
Tarascan empire - Where was it situated? How did Tarascans depict their history? Do the configurations of their culture support their ethnohistory?
Sites: Pátzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan
King: Taríacuri
Temple: Yacata
What are the unique features of Tarascan language and culture? How did they fare against the Aztecs?
Mexica ethnohistory
Sites: Tenochtitlan, Tlateloco
Boxes: Being born Aztec, Chinampas
Be aware of the outlines of the Mexica origin myth. Which elements of it are likely to have been acquired from the beliefs of predecessor peoples in the basin of Mexico.
How did the Aztec empire come into being? How was it organized?
Chapter 17
Terms: Cemanahuac, calpulli, tlatoani, huetlatoani, tlatoque, flower wars, calmecac, pipiltin, macehualtin, pochteca, teyolia, tonalli, cihuacoatl
Gods: Ometéotl, Tezcatlipoca, Xiuhtecuhtli, Huizilopochtli, Coyolxauhqui, Coatlicue, Xochipilli, Ome Tochtli, Tlaloc
Cosmic regions: Turquiose world, Obsidian world, Mictlan, Coatepec
People: Tepanecs, Alcolhua federation
Place: Texcoco. Tlacopan
War: The Tepanec war
Institutions: deity impersonation
Box: The great temple of the Aztecs
How did Mexica cosmological beliefs inform the organization of Tenochtitlan? What were the roles of their gods in the Mexica creation myth? Which values did the Mexica esteem? What was the triple alliance? How was land distributed in the early Mexica polity, how did the conditions of land distribution change with the expansion of the state? How rigid were Aztec class distinctions? What role did trade and markets play in the states of the Basin of Mexico?
In what way was the political economy of the Mexica organized?
I will also focus on the results of the excavations of the Templo Mayor.
Scholars: Eli Sagan, Eduardo Matos Moctezuma.
Concept: Ritual Homicide
Box: Aztec children and childraising
Chapter 18
Terms: strategic and tributary provinces, tecpan
People: Totonacs, Tlaxcala
Ritual: New Fire ceremony
How was the Aztec empire organized? What were the differing statuses a province might possess? What were the challenges of living on a lake, and how were they solved by the Aztecs? What were the proximal and ultimate causes of Aztec expansion?
Why didn't the Aztecs like the Tarascans?
Box: Aztec palaces
Chapter 19
Persons: Motecuzoma Xocoyotzin, Cortés, Malinche
Concepts: captive-oriented warfare
Rituals: heart sacrifice, cannibalism
Statuses: Eagle Knights, Jaguar Knights
Be familiar with the organization, motivations, and tactics of the Aztec army. How was Cortés able to conquer the Aztecs?
Ancient Civilizations Quiz #4 Name_______________________________
of Mesoamerica
Directions: Circle the best answer. Wait until I call for the quizzes before handing it in.
1. The significance of the Lost World complex of Tikal is
a. archaeologists encountered dinosaurs there.
b. it was the location of the principal necropolis of Tikal's kings on the north side of the
site.
c. It was the oldest section of Tikal.
2. Dos Pilas' emblem glyph is identical to that of Tikal because
a. the king of Tikal was too cheap to hire a good lawyer to enforce copyright
infringement.
b. Dos Pilas wanted to steal pilgrimage traffic away from Tikal.
c. Dos Pilas was founded by dissidents from the Tikal royal family.
d. Mayans were generally unimaginative when it came to creating emblem glyphs, so
duplication was common.
3. What is striking about the temples of the Rio Bec sites
a. is their massive size.
b. are their tall, ornate façades.
4. The atlatl held in the hands of Yax Nuun Ayin (flanking the central figure) is a symbol of rulership
a. among the Maya.
b. at Teotihuacan.
5. If you were a noble Maya lady, you would be expected to sacrifice blood by
a. cutting your hand.
b. cutting off the head of a turkey.
c. piercing your tongue only.
d. piercing your tongue, and then drawing a rope through the hole.
6. Recent research indicates that Alta Vista and La Quemada
a. were founded by Teotihuacan. b. flourished following the demise of Teotihuacan.
7. At Cacaxtla and Cholula art was encountered that was thought to have been influenced or created by
a. the Maya.
b. the Mexica.
c. Teotihuacan.
8. The archaeologist who excavated the ceremonial center at Tula Grande was
a. Jorge Acosta. b. Eduardo Matos Moctezuma. c. Richard Diehl. d. J. Charles Kelly.
9. Shrines in the central courtyard of the house compounds of Tollan, containing human remains testify to_________________by the Toltecs.
a. human sacrifice. b. cannibalism. c. ancestor veneration.
10. Archaeological research at Tollan revealed that the Toltecs worshipped
a. only Quetzalcoatl. b. a variety of deities.
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Online Resources: (list related websites as links)
Anthropology 8; Lecture 1 Terminology and Sources
Anthropology 8; Lecture 2
Anthropology 8; Lecture 3
Anthropology 8; Lecture 4
Anthropology 8: Lecture 5
Anthropology 8; Lecture 6
Anthropology 8; Lecture 7 San Bartolo
Anthropology 8; Lecture 8
Anthropology 8: Lecture 9
Anthropology 8: Lecture 10 West Mexico
Anthropology 8; Lecture 11 Basin of Mexico
Anthropology 8: Lecture 12 Oaxaca
Anthropology 8; Lecture 13 Tikal 1
Anthropology 8; Lecture 14 Tikal 2
Anthropology 8; Lecture 15 Calakmul
Anthropology 8; Lecture 16 Puuc Cities
Anthropology 8; Lecture 17 Kaminaljuyu
Anthropology 8: Lecture 18 Cholula
Anthropology 8: Lecture 19 Gran Chichimeca
Anthropology 8: Lecture 20 Tula
Anthropology 8: lecture 21
Anthropology8 Lecture 22
Anthropology8; Lecture 23 Rio Bec Sites
Xultun
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