| MESOAMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY
Seminar and Writing Course
Elizabeth M. Brumfiel
Dept. of Anthropology
Northwestern University
Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
1810 Hinman Ave.
Evanston, IL 60208-1330
Phone: 847-491-4564
Fax: 847-467-1778
ebrumfiel@northwestern.edu
This course deals with ancient Mesoamerica. We
will pursue two goals. First, we will try to gain some appreciation
of Mesoamerica as a geographic region and the rich indigenous cultures
that developed in that region. Mesoamerica offers a distinct
set of natural resources that provide opportunities and challenges
for human survival. We will explore how Mesoamerican people
used these resources to sustain complex societies. We will
examine the emergence of social inequality in Mesoamerica and how
dominant groups were able to develop and maintain social differentiation. Finally,
we will examine Mesoamerican peoples' understanding of the
world and humans' place within the world, as expressed in
Mesoamerican art, architecture, and literature. Mesoamerican
worldviews contrast with those of most contemporary Americans;
they offer Americans a different and enriching way of interpreting
the world.
Second, we will try to gain some understanding
of how Westerners have learned about the cultures of Mesoamerica,
so different from their own. We will examine the contributions of archaeology,
epigraphy, art history, ethnohistory, and cultural anthropology
to our knowledge of the ancient world. We will also ask how
Westerner scholars have used their interpretations of Mesoamerica's
past to advance their own cultural and political projects.
Teaching Statement
Approach, Rationale, and Overview
Matrix Principles
Institutional Context of Course
Course Development
Course Artifacts
Course Goals
Syllabus
Bibliography
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