1491: New World Theories on
Mesoamerica
HON
120-315
Spring 2012
Spring
Term 2012 Instructor: Scott E. Simmons, Ph.D.
M 3:30-4:30
simmonss@uncw.edu; 910.962.3429
Randall Library
Rm. 2007,
UNCW Office Hours: T, Th, 1-3 pm
http://people.uncw.edu/simmonss
Course Description:
What were the Americas like
before Christopher Columbus arrived? Who were its peoples and what kinds of
things did they accomplish? Mesoamerica is a broad geographic area that is home
to a variety of peoples who share both similar and uniquely different cultural
traditions that evolved over millennia. Some of the most remarkable
civilizations in the ancient world, including the Aztecs, Maya and Zapotecs,
were Mesoamerican. Much of the discussion in this one-credit seminar will
revolve around current theories on the causes and consequences of the emergence,
development, and eventual decline of these civilizations. Information on these
topics is drawn from the results of archaeological investigations, modern
ethnographic accounts, and Spanish as well as native ethnohistoric documentary
sources. Much of this information has recently been synthesized by writer
Charles C. Mann in his book 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before
Columbus. We will critique various sections of his book, including those
that deal with the first appearance of humans in the Americas, domestication of
staple crops, and the rise and fall of the Mayas and Aztecs. The course will
also explore a number of the controversies surrounding these and other topics as
well as how archaeologists have been able to unravel the ancient history of
Mesoamerican peoples. A field trip to a local archaeological site is planned,
as well as a discussion session with the author of 1491, Charles C. Mann.
Class Date Topics of Discussion Assigned Readings
Jan 11 Environment, Culture and Chronology e-reserve 1
Jan 18 Holmberg’s Mistake Mann Chapter 1
Jan 25 The First Peoples of the Americas Mann Chapter 5
Feb 1 The Pristine Wilderness? e-reserve 2
Feb 8 Archaic hunters & gatherers e-reserve 3; Mann 283-288
Feb 15
The Emergence of Agriculture:
Mann pp. 217-231
why, how & when?
Feb 22 America’s first towns & cities Mann Chapter 7 (to p. 255)
Feb 29 Charles C. Mann visit
March 7 The Maya – under the jungle canopy Mann pp. 277-280; 304-315; Appendix D
March 14 How did they do that?!? e-reserve 4
March 21 Spring Break – no classes
April 18 1491: Mesoamerica @ the point of contact e-reserve 8
April 25 The Conquest & Spanish Colonialism e-reserve 9
May 2 The Mesoamerican cultural tradition
Last day of
classes
May 9 Field trip to Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson
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Learning Outcomes:
• An understanding of the diversity of Mesoamerica’s physical, natural and social environments, including its physiography, cultural geography and cultural ecology
• An understanding of the political, social and economic factors that led to the development of complex societies, how states functioned as viable entities for periods of time as well as the causes and consequences of their decline
· An understanding of the common structural components of Mesoamerican states as well as their unique particular attributes
• An appreciation of the complex social, political and economic relationships that developed between Mesoamerican peoples in Precolumbian times
• An appreciation of the ways in which Mesoamerican peoples created and negotiated their social identities in response to pressures by Spanish colonists to assimilate
Transferable Skills:
• Communication and presentation skills developed through seminar work
• Confidence in advancing and articulating arguments
• Analytic and conceptual skills developed through engagement with the course’s subject matter
• Library and research skills
• An ability to evaluate different positions and arguments
• Time management skills developed through the organization of personal study and the meeting of deadlines
• An ability to analyze, interpret and synthesize visual material
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Course Readings:
Course
Text
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus.
Charles C. Mann. Alfred Knopf Publishers. 2005.
E-Reserves
1 Introduction. Robert Carmack, Janine Gasco and Gary Gossen. In The Legacy of Mesoamerica: History and Culture of a Native American Civilization, edited by Robert M. Carmack, Janine L. Gasco and Gary H. Gossen, pp. 1-37. Second edition. 2007.
2 The Pristine Myth. William Denevan. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 82, No. 3:369-385. The Americas before and after 1492: Current Geographical Research. 1992.
3 Early Inhabitants of Mesoamerica. Janine Gasco, Marilyn Masson, Robert Rosenswig and Michael Smith. In The Legacy of Mesoamerica: History and Culture of a Native American Civilization, edited by Robert M. Carmack, Janine L. Gasco and Gary H. Gossen, pp. 38-46. Second edition. 2007.
4 Architectural Energetics, Ancient Monuments, and Operations Management. Elliot M. Abrams and Thomas W. Bolland. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 6(4):263-291. 1999.
5 Classic Maya Collapse. Heather McKillop. In The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives, pp. 97-100. W.W. Norton & Company, London. 2004.
6 Postclassic Mesoamerica. Michael E. Smith and Frances F. Berdan. In The Postclassic Mesoamerican World, edited by Michael E. Smith and Frances F. Berdan, pp. 1-13. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City. 2003.
7 War and the Faces of Tribute. Elizabeth Graham. Paper presented for the Moctezuma II Symposium, organised by Elizabeth Baquedano. Institute of Historical Research University of London and Institute of Archaeology, UCL, London. 13-14 March 2009.
8 The Mesoamerican World at Spanish Contact. Robert Carmack. In The Legacy of Mesoamerica: History and Culture of a Native American Civilization, edited by Robert M. Carmack, Janine L. Gasco and Gary H. Gossen, pp. 120-150. Second edition. 2007.
9 The Conquest of Mexico and its Aftermath. Susan Toby Evans. In Ancient Mexico and Central America: Archaeology & Culture History, pp. 525-550. Thames & Hudson, London. 2008.
Note: all e-reserves can be accessed through the UNCW Randall Library web site
Class Participation - 100 points
This is a seminar class. Your regular participation in class
discussions is required. This participation includes expressing your views on
discussion topics, questions you ask during class, observations you make on your
professor’s and peers’ comments, etc. Your participation in class discussions
requires that you are fully prepared to discuss any readings assigned each
week.
Oral Presentation - 100 points
You will evaluate a topic of discussion of your choice, from either
1491 or an e-reserve, along with two outside sources of information on the
same topic, and present your findings for approximately 15 minutes, answering
questions afterward (see guidelines for presentations). Choose a date for your
oral presentation by writing your name on the sign-up sheet posted on my office
door. First come, first served.
Short Paper – 100 points
You’ll be evaluating, assessing and critiquing a particular topic of class
discussion/interest. In this 2-3 page paper (see guidelines) you’ll be
synthesizing current information on a topic of interest and then providing your
own interpretations and perspectives on that topic given the data at hand.
Other Learning Activities:
Charles C. Mann will be speaking at
UNCW on Wednesday February 29 at 7pm in the Warwick Ballroom. This event, which
is free and open to the public, will include a lecture and book-signing. You
are required to attend this event. Given that you’ll have been reading 1491
for several months and therefore be quite knowledgeable by that point it’s very
likely you’ll even have a question or two for Mr. Mann. Finally, we will also
be visiting a local archaeological site, nearby Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson.
Prominent Topics to be Discussed in HON 120-315:
The peopling of the
Americas
Emergence of Agriculture & Domestication Processes
Processes of Social Evolution - Growth, Sustainability & Decline
Cultural Ecology – adaptations and maladaptations
Culture Contact and its ramifications in Mesoamerica