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for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Aztecs and Incas: Pre-Columbian Archaeology of the Americas |
| Unit code |
ARCH25018 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
I/5
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
|
| Unit director |
Emeritus Professor. Saunders |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department |
Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences |
Description including Unit Aims
This course aims to give students a broad understanding of some of the origins and diversity of ancient civilizations in Pre-Columbian Mexico and Peru. The unit will provide a comprehensive introduction to the interdisciplinary study of some of the region's major cultures, their art, architecture, archaeology, and religion, from 2,000 BC to the arrival of Europeans in the sixteenth century. The unit will provide description and understanding so that students will not only learn about the distinctiveness of Amerindian cultures, but will also be able to employ this understanding for cross-cultural comparisons with better-known Old World civilizations.
Aims:
- provide students with a detailed overview of the diverse range and development of Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico and Peru
- enable students to recognise and understand a range of ancient American traditions in art and architecture
- provide students with a sound understanding of the relationship between material culture, religion, and worldview in those civilizations covered by the course
- enable students to recognize the distinctive aspects of Pre-Columbian civilizations for comparative analysis with Old World cultures.
Intended Learning Outcomes
The Unit will provide students with the abilities to:
- demonstrate familiarity with the diverse range of Pre-Columbian civilizations
- demonstrate an appreciation of the complexities of recognising the relationship between material culture and indigenous Amerindian philosophies of life and death
- demonstrate a sound understanding of the cultural timelines and trajectories of cultural development in Mexico and Peru.
Teaching Information
Lectures + 1 fieldtrip
Assessment Information
All the assessment is summative:
One Essay of 2500 - 2750 words (50%)
1 oral presentation of 15 mins (25%)
1 written essay (2000 words) of the oral presentation (25%)
Reading and References
- Coe, M.D. 1993. The Maya. (5th edition). London: Thames and Hudson.
- Coe, M.D. 2002. Mexico. London: Thames and Hudson.
- Saunders, N.J. 2006. Ancient Americas. The History Press.
- Townsend, R. 1993. The Aztecs. Thames and Hudson.
- Von Hagen, A. and C. Morris. 1998. The Cities of the Ancient Andes. London: Thames and Hudson
