Aspects of prehistoric society covered include subsistence systems, trade, social and political organizations, ideology, calendrics and astronomy, language and writing, artifacts, architecture, sculpture and painting. Format is seminar with presentations, research reports, and discussion. This course presents the principles of classic Maya hieroglyphic writing, its history, and methods of its decipherment. Classic Maya mathematics are also introduced, as are calendrics and astronomy, Maya grammar and text structure, and a survey of monumental texts from selected sites. This course focuses on major PreColumbian art traditions, as evidenced in the material culture.
Attention is paid to cosmology and the socio-cultural context of art in each society.
The cultural conceptions of supernatural reality with emphasis on comparative understanding of myth and ritual, the religious experience, and religious evolution and revitalization movements. Selected topics related to consumption, commodities, exchange, and gender. Controversies over foragers and egalitarian societies. Examines political behavior and symbolism from a cross-cultural perspective. Areas of study include political theory, political ritual, conflict and conflict resolution, gender politics, evolution of political forms, and human rights.