THE FORGING OF A MESOAMERICAN WAY OF LIFE
Time required: 4-6 hours
A. Overview: This module introduces the students to early state development in Mesoamerica. At the beginning of class, a current events article is discussed. If a student has brought in the article, they introduce it to the class; the instructor then encourages discussion of what has been learned by this article and what information is lacking. Students are introduced to the concept of state and the complex processes surrounding the development of Mesoamerican societies. Key characteristics of these societies are examined, including technology, economics, political organization, settlement patterns, social organization, ideology, trade, and architecture. The students will compare what they are learning with historical or modern societies. Students will also complete one or two activities as part of this module.
B. Lesson Objectives
1. Describe early sedentary villages; why did they grow?
2. Define the concept of state.
3. Identify evidence for stratification through time.
4. Describe the time periods and geographic location of different cultural traditions.
5. Define the role of religion in Mesoamerican societies.
6. Define the integration of peoples with regard to the rise of ceremonial and urban centers, trade networks, and the role of religion.
7. Describe key characteristics, including technology, economics, political organization, settlement patterns, social organization, ideology, trade, and architecture.
8. Describe conflict and competition among centers and why it occurred.
9. Define characteristics of civilization and archaeological evidence.
10. Identify principles of social relevance, communication, stewardship, and diverse interests.
C. Matrix Principles:
1. Social Relevance: connect spiritual world to politics, alliances, conflict, urban life and cities in today's society; compare with Mesoamerican societies.
2. Communication: current events, Internet, reflections, activities.
3. Stewardship: vandalism at sites—occurs all over the world; what is lost by vandalism.
4. Diverse interests: what happened to the Maya? They are still here, speaking Mayan language; did not disappear; continuity of culture.
D. Instructional Procedures: This module is primarily lecture and student activity. There is one activity that is done by students primarily outside of class, and one that is completed in class. The current events portion is introduced to tie in archaeology to today's world. Ideally, an article relating to Mesoamerican archaeology will be used. Throughout the lecture, students are asked questions to ensure they are grasping the concepts introduced. It is important to tie in real-world experiences to the content, so the questions ask the students to think of some of the concepts in the context of today's world. PowerPoint is useful to help identify concepts, but the lecture can be taught with traditional technology (e.g., whiteboard). During the Mayan portion of the lecture, students are given time to research additional information on the Maya. At the beginning of the module students are given an out-of-class activity that they will report back on within a week.
E. Assessment: Students are assessed on this topic in two ways. They complete the reflections addressing some of the objectives of this topic and the complete the in-class and out-of-class activities.
F. Lecture Outline:
1. Current events: discuss recent news article on anthropology or archaeology; what did you learn from this article? What information do you still want to know? Are there any biases in the reporting?
2. Hand out Construction Estimates Activity. Can be done with a partner.
3. Review Mesoamerican map and time periods of cultural traditions (Chronological Table of Mesoamerican Archaeology [Jordan 2003]).
4. San Jose Mogote: beginnings of sedentary village life.
5. Olmec: San Lorenzo, La Venta, and El Mirador (early ceremonial center)—contrast ideas of whether these are early civilizations or are centers associated with social inequality and permanent leaders, but not with urbanism or state government.
6. Teotihuacan: example of urban center, religious influence, ceremonial architecture, evidence of stratification and specialization, marketplaces and trade.
7. Maya: review time periods; examine great accomplishments such as calendrics and writing; focus on social organization: evidence of stratification/kingships, elites, important role of religion, warfare, architecture, trade, interaction and exchange systems, and the collapse of large urban centers. Discussion of causes of change. Mayan discussion will consider the organization of societies. Examples of sites discussed include: Tikal, Calakmul, Palenque, and Chichen Itza. Main Introduction to MCC Mayan Archaeology Pages (Effland and MCC 2004).
8. Activity: Mayan accomplishments: With a partner, select one of the following topics and prepare a short discussion that summarizes information on one of the following topics. Be prepared to share information with the class. You will turn in this assignment.
Astronomy and Mathematics
Cosmology and Religion
The Maya Calendar
Writing and Hieroglyphics
Some Web sites you can research can be found at:
Mesoweb: An Exploration of Mesoamerican Cultures
Maya Civilization (Schnubb et al. 2001)
9. Toltec: "After the fall of Teotihuacan, no single dominant community emerged in the central highlands to control the Basin of Mexico" (Price and Feinman, p. 348); the site of Tula is examined as an example of a city that rose rapidly in this politically fragmented landscape, as well as its relationship to the Aztec.
10. Aztec and Tenochtitlan: review time period; historical references, connection to religion, writing, calendar; known rulers; archaeological evidence; empire; ideology; warfare; trade and economy; stratification of society; accomplishments; Spanish conquest.
G. Videos/Slides: Archaeology Series Teotihuacan video (22 minutes); Archaeology series Clash of the Maya Kings video (Naughton and Valcour 1996). Slides (Pictures of Record): Teotihuacan, Olmec, Maya.
H. Readings: Price and Feinman: Chapter 8 (pages 305-367); Mayan Prehistory (Effland 2004).
I. Web sites with photographs: can be used in class, also as reference material:
http://archaeology.ia.asu.edu/teo.htm;
New Tomb Found at Teotihuacan (Schuster 1999)
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