ATH 212 Mexican Prehistory

Lecture Hours: 4
Credits: 4

Explores the development of Mexican culture from the early hunter gatherers of the Archaic to the formation of cultigens, ceramics, settlements, and the establishment of traditional Mesoamerican cultural traits and cosmologies. The innovations of the Pre classic, Classic, Epi-classic, and Post-classic Periods, and the rise and fall of the Aztec state are examined through archaeologic, ethnographic, and ethnohistoric evidence. Major Mexican and Mayan archaeologic sites of Mesoamerica are discussed with an emphasis on change through time.

Prerequisite: Placement into WR 115 (or higher), or completion of WR 090 (or higher) with a grade of C or better; or consent of instructor.
Student Learning Outcomes:

Describe the basic characteristics of primary Mexican cultures over time.
Explain how archeologists working in Mesoamerica identify, classify, and interpret materials from archeological sites.
Recognize the foundational social, political, and economic components of Prehistoric Mexican cultures after examination of selected civilizations from prehistory to present.
Outline the progression of Mexican economic development from prehistoric nomadic methods to permanent settlements, architectural innovations, and the domestication of plants and animals.
Explain the causal factors in the emergence and dissolution of prehistoric Mexican cultures and construct a hypothesis about future cultural developments based on the historical record
Compare the current situation of the Mexican Indians in contemporary Mexico, and a Mexican Indian living in the United States.

Statewide General Education Outcomes

Apply analytical skills to social phenomena in order to understand human behavior.
Apply knowledge and experience to foster personal growth and better appreciate the diverse social world in which we live.

Content Outline

The Natural History of Mexico
- Geography
- Climate
- Flora and fauna
The Archaic Period
- Human diaspora
- The first Mexicans
- Big game hunters
- Climate change
Sendentism and Agriculture
- Mesoamerican cultigens
- San Jose Mogote
- Early cosmology
Early Formative Period
- Cultural manifestations
- Demographic diaspora
- Mesoamerican languages
Pre-classic Period
- Archaeology and demography
- Olmecs
- Oaxaca
- Valley of Mexico
Classic and Epi-classic Periods
- Teotihuacan
- Zapotecs
- Cholan Maya
Post Classic Period
- Archaeology and demography
- Toltecs
- Yucatec Maya
- Aztecs
Comparison of Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan
- Ritual and cosmology
- Demography
- Rise and Fall
- Circumstances concerning the initial conquest of Mexico by Europeans