Anthropology E-175

Mesoamerican Civilizations
Fall 2007

Lectures take place: Tuesday & Thursday at 11:00am in Room 14A, First
Floor,
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Lecture videos are posted
within 48 hours of each class meeting, though usually they are up the same
day.

Extension School Distance Education Course:

This course is being offered as part of the Harvard Extension School's
Distance Education Program. The recorded lectures that you will view
are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences course Foreign
Cultures 34, Mesoamerican Civilizations, and this course meets two
times per week throughout the term. While these are recorded lectures,
the other aspects of the course are "live." This means that you are
responsible for homework, exams and all other work. There will also be
weekly online or on-campus section meetings or office hours (details
yet to be determined) for students who wish to attend. Distance
Education students are welcome to attend the lectures in person as well
if their schedule and location permits.

Please see the Harvard Extension School distance education web site
for information on the distance ed program, details on how to view
lectures and for technical support. The link is:
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/DistanceEd/

Professor:
Dr. David Carrasco
Divinity Hall 304
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 2-4
Email: tlaloc@hds.harvard.edu

Teaching Fellows:
Dylan Clark
42C Mesoamerican Lab
4th Floor, Peabody Museum
Office Hours: Mondays, 2-4
Email: djclark@fas.harvard.edu
617-495-0607

María-Cristina Vlassidis
Harvard Divinity School
Office Hours: TBA
Email: cvlassidis@hds.harvard.edu

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Tina Warinner
58H Archaeological Biogeochemistry Laboratory
5th Floor, Peabody Museum
Office Hours: TBA
Email: warinner@fas.harvard.edu

Course Description:
This course highlights the distinctive features of the dynamic, still evolving
cultural traditions of Mesoamerica, one of the oldest living civilizations in the
world. Combining the perspectives of archaeology, social anthropology and
the history of religions we will focus on the notions of place, body and
imagination to explore the history of cities, civilization, colonialism and
collapse in the social life ways of Mesoamerican peoples. Our work will
include readings, lectures and museum visits on the daily life of Aztec and
Maya peoples with special attention to their religion, ritual sacrifices,
gendered attitudes, arts, cultural and imperial traditions. Significant
attention will be given to the history of European colonialism,
transculturation, race mixture and local resistance as expressed through art
and politics. Some attention will also be directed toward the immigration of
Mesoamerican ideas, peoples and practices into the US.

Foreign Cultures 34 allows you to appreciate the breadth and depth of

Mesoamerican civilizations through lectures, exposure in section to icons,
manuscripts, and artifacts in the collections of the Peabody Museum, readings
on Precolumbian, Colonial, and modern-day cultures, and publications by
prominent Maya writers involved in social movements to promote self-
determination in the 21st century. A holistic, anthropological approach is
employed that allows you to make use of critical thinking in your evaluation of
early historical accounts, archaeological investigations of preceding cultural
traditions, the Colonial period and more recent texts and images, to
understand the ethos and adaptations of these enduring civilizations. This
perspective enables us to understand Mesoamerican cultures as dynamic,
fluid, and creative, constantly being transformed as circumstances warrant,
yet retaining their own distinctive outlooks and styles.

Grading:
Section Attendance and Participation: 10%
Short writing assignment: 5 pgs, 15%
Midterm Exam, 20%
Research Paper, 10-15 pgs, 30%
Final Exam, 25%

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Required Textbooks:

Carrasco, Davíd
2000 Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire: Myths and Prophecies in
the Aztec
Tradition. Revised edition. Boulder: University Press of Colorado.

Clendinnen, Inga
1995 Aztecs: An Interpretation. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.

Diaz del Castillo, Bernal

2004 The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, 1517-1521. 2nd edition.
Translated by A.P. Maudslay. Cambridge: Da Capo Press.

Menchú, Rigoberta
1984 I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala. Elisabeth
Burgos
Debray (ed. and introduction). Translated by Ann Wright.
London: Verso.

Pohl, John
1999 Exploring Mesoamerica: Places in Time
New York: Oxford University Press

Tedlock, Dennis
1996 Popol Vuh: the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life. Revised edition.
Translated by Dennis Tedlock. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Available on-line and on reserve:

2001 Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures (OEMC) selections,

edited by
David Carrasco, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Part 1 Cities and Symbols of Mesoamerican Civilizations

Tues. Sept 18th Introduction: What is “Mesoamerica” in Space, Time and

the
Imagination?

Readings: Davíd Carrasco, “Preface” from The Oxford

Encyclopedia of
Mesoamerican Cultures pp.ix-xii

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Thur. Sept. 20th Encountering Mesoamerican Places, Bodies, Myths

Readings: Bernal Díaz del Castillo, The Conquest of Mexico, pp. 3-68, & 187-
214.
Rigoberta Menchú, I, Rigoberta Menchú, pp. 1-20.
Carrasco, “Introduction: Mosaics and Centers” from Quetzalcoatl
and
the Irony of Empire.
Popul Vuh, p. 71-76

Tues. Sept 25th Foundations and Formative Mesoamerica: Cities and Exchange

Readings: John Pohl, “Introduction” & “La Venta” from Exploring

Mesoamerica.
Alfredo Lopez Austin, “Cosmovision” pp. 268-274 OEMC
David Grove, “Olmec”, OEMC, vol II, pp. 405-409

Thurs. Sept 27th Mother Culture or Sister Cultures? What is Civilization

Anyway?

Readings: Pohl, “Izapa”, “Monte Alban”.

Peter Bellwood, “Early Agriculture in the Americas” pp.
146-159 (S)
S = reading from the sourcebook
Menchú, First Visit to Finca” pp. 21-27 & chaps. 5,6 in
I, Rigoberta Menchú

*Mesoamerican Symbol of the Week: Cleft Heads and Maize

Tues. Oct 2 Classic Teotihuacan: Cities of the Gods

Readings: Pohl, “Teotihuacan”, “Tikal”.

Carrasco, “Teotihuacan: Imperial Capital” in
Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire

Thurs. Oct 4 Exchanges and Receptions: Teo and the Maya

(Guest Speaker Dr. William Fash)

Readings: William Fash, “Teotihuacan and the Maya” & “Maya” (S)
Pohl, “Copan”
Popul Vuh, pp. 63-88

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*Mesoamerican Symbol of the Week: Ruler on the Hieroglyphic Stairway—
Peabody
Museum

Tues. Oct. 9 The Mesoamerican Epiclassic: Greater Tollans and the Feathered
Serpent

Readings: Carrasco, “Quetzalcoatl and the Foundation of Tollan” &

“Other
Tollans” in Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire.
Pohl “Tula”, “Cholula”

Thurs. Oct. 11 Postclassic Empires: Tenochtitlan and the Hearts of the

Mountains

Readings: Pohl, “Tenochtitlan”

Carrasco, “The Sources: From Storybook to Encyclopedia”
&
“Return of Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire” in
Quetzalcoatl
and the Irony of Empire
Mills and Taylor,”Aztec Stone Of the Five Suns” (S)

*Mesoamerican Symbol of the Week: The Feathered Serpent

Tues. Oct. 16th The Discoveries of the Great Aztec Altepetl/Temple

Readings: Carrasco, “History and Cosmovision”, “Religion of the

Aztecs” (S)
Carrasco, “Return of Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire”
in
Quetzalcoatl
Diego Duran, “Chapter XXVII” (S)

*Midterm Exam (take-home) assigned

Part 2 Daily Life in Mesoamerica

Thurs. Oct 18 Altepetl, Agriculture and Cuisine

Readings: Díaz del Castillo, pp. 208-215.

CD of Mapa de Cuauhtinchan
Bellwood 2005, Chapter 8, pp. 146-159 (S)
OEMC, “Cuisine” pp. 292-294.
Susan T. Evans 2004 “Pottery Vessel Forms” pp. 119-121
(S)

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Tues. Oct. 23 Tianquitzli, Markets, Trade and Tribute

Readings: Diaz del Castillo, pp. 215-221

Images from Codex Mendoza
OEMC, “Trade and Exchange” pp. 254-257
OEMC, “Merchants,” pp. 208-210
OEMC, “Markets,” pp. 168-171.
Bernardino de Sahagún, “de los mercaderes” (S)

*Midterm Exam (take-home) due in lecture

Thurs. Oct 25 The Red and the Black: Eloquent Language and Powerful
Writing
(Guest Speaker Dr. Marc Zender)

Readings: Sahagun, “De la retorica y filosofia moral” pp. 1-5, 41-45

(S)
OEMC, “Writing Systems,” pp.338-350
OEMC, “Pictorial Manuscripts”
Popul Vuh

Tues Oct. 30th Aztec Aesthetics: Arts, Poetry, Literature

Readings: Clendinnen 1991, “Aesthetics”, pp. 213-235

Sahagun, pp. 67-77, 159-160, 167-69, 219-222, 237-242
OEMC, “Music” , “Poetry, Songs and Prose Sources”
OEMC, “Literature” pp. 133-135
OEMC, “Drama” pp. 333-337
OEMC, “Dance” pp. 305-311

Thurs. Nov. 1st Festivals and Religion: Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead

Tues. Nov. 6 Festivals and Religion: Myth and Ritual

Readings: Clendinnen 1991, “Ritual: The World Transformed,” pp.

236-263 “Monthly Ceremonies of the Seasonal
Calendar” pp. 295-297

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 “The Mexica Pantheon,” pp. 298-300 in Aztecs: An
Interpretation

*Discuss final papers, due dates

Thurs. Nov. 8th Warfare: A Flowery Death in Distant Lands

Readings: Clendinnen 1991, “Victims”, “Warriors, Priests, and

Merchants”
“The Masculine Self Discovered” pp.87-152 in Aztecs: An
Interpretation
OEMC, “Aztec Warfare”

Tues. Nov 13th The “Conquest” of Mexico

Readings: Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Discovery and Conquest, entire

book

*Final paper ideas and preliminary sources due in section

Part 3 Mesoamerica Transformed: The Cultural Encounter

Thurs. Nov. 15th Hernan Cortes, La Malinche, and Motecuhzoma

Readings: Carrasco, chapter 5, Quetzalcoatl

Clendinnen 1991 “Wives,” “Mothers,” and “The Female
Being
Revealed,” pp.153-212, “Defeat,” pp. 267-273.
Karttunen 1997, pp. 291-312 (S)
Powers, “Colonial Sexuality”, (S)

Nov 20-22 THANKSGIVING NO CLASS

Tues. Nov. 27th Gender: Between the Quiver and the Spindle

Readings: OEMC, “Gender Roles” pp. 427-434

Burkhart 1997, pp. 25-54 (S)
Mills & Taylor “Beatriz de Padilla, Mulatta Mistress and
Mother” (S)
Espejo-Ponce Hunt and Restall 1997, pp. 231-254
Menchú, I, Rigoberta Menchú “Introduction” chapters 1-11

*Short writing assignment assigned

Thurs. Nov. 29th Missionaries, Conquistadors, and Revolts

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 Readings: Menchú, I, Rigoberta Menchú, chapters 12-17
Mills and Taylor, “Orders given to the twelve (1523)” pp.
46-51 (S)
Burkhart “Evangelization, Dialogue, Rhetoric. The
Missionary
Missionized and Christinaity Conquered (S)

Tues. Dec. 4th Local Religion: Gods, Saints, and Catechisms

Readings: Menchú, I, Rigoberta Menchú, chapters 18-22

Córdoba, “Christian Doctrine” pp. 53-61 (S)
Taylor 1996, pp.265-299; pp. 47-73 (S)
Womack 1999, “Chiapas, the Bishop of San Cristóbal, and
the
Zapatista Revolt” (S)

*Short writing assignment due

Thurs. Dec 6th The Mesoamerican Past Today

Readings: Carrasco 2003, “Aztec Moments and Chicano Cosmovision”.

Complete I, Rigoberta Menchú
David Stoll 2001, “The Battle of Rigoberta” (S)

Tues. Dec 11th Mesoamerica Today

Readings: Stoll 2001, pp.392-401 (S)

OEMC, “Guadelupe, Nuestra Señora de” pp. 444-447

Thurs. Dec 13th Class Summary

Sourcebook Readings (S):

Bellwood, Peter
2005 Early Agriculture in the Americas. In First Farmers: The Origins of
Agricultural Societies. Malden: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 146-
159.

Burkhart, Louise
1989a Evangelization, Dialogue, Rhetoric, The Missionary
Missionized, and

8
 Christianity Conquered. In The Slippery Earth. Tuscon: University
of
Arizona Press.

1997 Mexica Women on the Homefront. In Indian Women of Early

Mexico.
Susan Schroeder, Stephanie Wood, and Robert Haskett (eds.).
Norman:
University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 25-54.

Carrasco, David
2003 Aztec Moments and Chicano Cosmovision: Aztlan Recalled to Life.
In
Moctezuma’s Mexico: Visions of the Aztec World. Boulder:
University
Press of Colorado. pp. 175-198.

1990 History and Cosmovision and the Religion of the Aztecs. In

Religions of
Mesoamerica: Cosmovision and Ceremonial Centers. Waveland
Press.
pp. 51-56, 65-70.

de Córdoba, Pedro
1970 Christian Doctrine: For the Instruction and Information of the
Indians.
Translated by Sterling A. Stoudemire. Coral Gables: University of
Miami
Press. pp. 53-61.

de Sahagún, Bernardino
1976 De la retorica y filosofia moral. In Florentine Codex: A General
History of
the Things of New Spain. Charles E. Dibble and Arthur J. O.
Anderson
(eds. and translators). Book 6, Rhetoric and Moral Philosophy
Part VII:
pp.1-5, 41-45, 67-77, 159-160, 167-169, 219-222, 237-242.
Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press.

1976 De los mercaderes. In Florentine Codex: A General History of the

Things of New Spain. Charles E. Dibble and Arthur J. O. Anderson
(eds.
and translators). Book 9, Monographs: The Merchants. pp.1-19,
21-25,

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 27-35, 37-43,69-71, 73-85, 87-97. Salt Lake City: University of
Utah Press.

1974 De los vicios y virtudes desta gente. In Florentine Codex: A

General
History of the Things of New Spain. Charles E. Dibble and Arthur
J. O.
Anderson (eds. and translators). Book 10: The People, Part XI pp.
1-33,
35-39, 41-43, 45-53, 55-57. Salt Lake City: University of Utah
Press.

Duran, Fray Diego

1964 Chapter XXVII. In Aztecs: The History of the Indies of New Spain.
Translated and edited by Doris Heyden and Fernando Horcasitas.
Orion Press. pp. 133-137.

Espejo-Ponce Hunt, Marta and Matthew Restall

1997 Work, Marriage, and Status: Maya Women of Colonial Yucatan. In
Indian
Women of Early Mexico. Susan Schroeder, Stephanie Wood, and
Robert Haskett (eds.). Norman: University of Oklahoma
Press. pp.231-252.

Evans, Susan Toby

2004 Pottery Vessel Forms. In Ancient Mexico and Central America.
Pp.119-121

Fash, William L. and Barbara W. Fash

2000 Teotihuacan and the Maya: A Classic Heritage. In Mesoamerica’s
Classic
Heritage: From Teotihuacan to the Aztecs. David Carrasco,
Lindsay Jones
and Scott Sessions (eds.). Boulder: University Press of Colorado.
pp.433-463.

Karttunen, Frances
1997 Rethinking Malinche. In Indian Women of Early Mexico. Susan
Schroeder, Stephanie Wood, and Robert Haskett (eds.). Norman:
University of Oklahoma Press. pp.291-312.

Mills, Kenneth and William B. Taylor

1998a Orders Given to the Twelve (1523). In Colonial Spanish
America.

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 Kenneth Mills and William B. Taylor (eds.). Washington, DC:
Scholarly
Review Books. pp.46-51.

1998b Aztec Stone of Five Suns. In Colonial Spanish America.

Kenneth Mills
and William B. Taylor (eds.). Washington, DC: Scholarly Review
Books.
pp.23-26.

1998c Beatriz de Padilla, Mulatta Mistress and Mother. In

Colonial Spanish
America. Kenneth
Mills and William B. Taylor (eds.). Washington, DC: Scholarly
Review
Books.

Powers, Karen Viera

2005 Colonial Sexuality: Of Women, Men, and Mestizaje. In Women in
the
Crucible of Conquest. Santa Fe: University of New Mexico Press.
pp.68-79.

Stoll, David
2001 The Battle of Rigoberta. In The Rigoberta Menchú Controversy.
Arturo
Arias (ed.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 392-
410.

Taylor, William B.
1996 Issues of Local Religion. In Magistrates of the Sacred: Priests and
Parishoners in 18th Century Mexico. Stanford: Stanford University
Press.
pp.47-73; pp.265-299.

Womack, Jr., John

1999 Chiapas, the Bishop of San Cristobal, and the Zapatista Revolt.
In
Rebellion in Chiapas: An Historical Reader. New Press. pp.3-30.

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