Admission requirements
None
Description
World Archaeology 3.2 provides a cursory initial overview of the archaeology of the American hemisphere from initial settling to the start of European colonisation.
Across the Americas people used material culture to shape their world and at the same time, people were shaped by the material culture they created. This type of data will be used to critically understand past indigenous societies of the Americas, including the use of pictorial indigenous, written sources and oral tradition.
During this brief introductory course, we will provide a first glimpse into some areas of the Americas, known to us through a long legacy of archaeological work, in part also centered at the Faculty of Archaeology. Starting with the Terminal Pleistocene process of human settlement of the American continents, we will move across space and time discussing a selection of Middle and Late Holocene areas, outlining major chronological developments, including subsistence practice, architectural repertoires, major archaeological sites, pottery making, social organisation and ideational worlds.
Although mentioning several different areas of the Americas, we will be centered around Middle America and the central Andean, providing regional introductions to the orgin, development and main characteristics of Maya societies (as part of Mesoamerican culture area), combined with a cursory reference to the Istmo-Colombian Area. The third class will be dedicated to the central Andean case of the Inca society. Additional background on South American cultural developments will be discussed in the required readings.
In this course, we will begin to create an understanding of the features of archaeology in the Americas, underscoring the different areas and regions and the multiple scales of analysis.
The course will also include consideration of the rich contemporary variety of national and socio-cultural contexts in the Americas; highlighting the relevance of current societal problems and challenges.
Course objectives
Basic knowledge of principal archaeological developments in parts of the Americas;
Basic understanding of current debates and challenges in American archaeology;
Initial understanding of some of the variety of archaeological evidence in the Americas, i.e., tools and ornaments, household items, imagery, structures of houses, pottery, burials, zoo-archaeological remains, etc.;
Initial understanding of the archaeology of the Maya
Initial understanding of the archaeology of the Isthmo-Colombian Area
Initial understanding of the archaeology of the Inca
Knowledge of the nature of archaeological data and its correlation to the regional and temporal variations in indigenous linguistics, technologies, settlements, economies, social organisation and worldviews across the continent;cross the continent;
Ability to summarise and reflect on specialist literature regarding the course topics;
Ability to defend your Discussion Points during the class tutorials, supporting your position with academically valid arguments.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button.
Mode of instruction
This course is taught by means of lectures, accompanied by weekly tutorials.
Assessment method
The course is assessed by means of an online multiple-choice exam, with the option of a retake.
Assessment deadlines
The dates of exams and retakes can be found in MyTimetable. The deadlines of papers, essays and assignments are communicated through Brightspace.
Reading list
Required readings will be posted on Brightspace.
Registration
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please contact the exchange coordinator for information on how to apply.
General information about registration can be found on the Course and exam enrolment page.
Retake exams
Exchange and Premaster students must send an email to the Student Administration to enroll for retakes.
If you are not enrolled, you may not participate.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact Dr. A. (Alexander) Geurds.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance during tutorials. Upon missing more than one tutorial you will be excluded from the exam.
This course can be taken as an optional course, Contract course, or Study Abroad/Exchange course, but only in combination with World Archaeology 3.1: Historical Archaeology.