Mesoamerica, an area that encompasses most of Mexico and part of Central America, was home to a variety of ancient civilizations before the arrival of Columbus. Vibrant cities like Teotihuacán in central Mexico, dominated by enormous pyramids and dramatic architecture, flourished at a time when Europe was still in the Dark Ages. The Mayas, living deep within the tropical rainforests of Mexico and Guatemala, were sophisticated architects, artists, scribes, and astronomers a thousand years before the Renaissance. When Cortés arrived with his soldiers in 1519, Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, was one of the largest cities in the world. The remains of these civilizations raise important questions: Who were the the people of ancient Mesoamerica, how did they live, and what happened to them?

This course will explore the world of ancient Mesoamerica from the perspectives of archaeology and ethnohistory. It will review the discovery and investigation of the civilizations of the Olmecs, Teotihuacán, the Maya, the Zapotecs, the Toltecs, and the Aztecs, as well as other ancient civilizations of Mexico and Central America. Examination of their ruined cities, their arts and crafts, and the traces of their religious rituals and daily lives will help us to understand the growth and the decline of these Native American civilizations. This course will also look at how anthropologists study the past and interpret the remains of ancient Mesoamerican cultures.

Final course grades will be based on a take-home library assignment (5%), two hour exams (20% each), a 15-20 page research paper (25%), and a final exam (30%). Term paper topics must be approved by the instructor in advance; however, they may touch upon any aspect of the course material.

Please note that if these books are late arriving at bookstores in Lawrence, you can also obtain them on the Web through online booksellers such as Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble (each of whom can ship immediately). If you don't mind using older editions or used books, you might also try the Advanced Book Exchange, an online source for used and out-of-print books.  However, the most recent editions are worth having.

COE, MICHAEL D.

1996 The Art of Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec (Revised edition). New York: Thames & Hudson.

Please notify the instructor in advance if any of the scheduled exams are conflict with the observation of religious holidays. Alternative dates or makeup exams will be arranged. Other makeup exams will be granted only to students who can present valid medical excuses for missing a scheduled exam.

Students who anticipate problems with fulfilling course requirements because of the way they see, hear, read, or get around campus should advise the instructor within the first two weeks of class. Special arrangements will be made in cooperation with staff at the Student Assistance Center (864-4064).

Grades for course assignments will normally be available one week afteran assignment is due. Please do not ask for grades before one week has elapsed!!! Grades will not be given over the phone. They will be made available to students in person only if they can present a valid picture I.D.

Cheating and plagiarism on tests or written assignments will not be tolerated. Violators will be subject to full disciplinary action by the University.