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CS92PROD
Art and Society in the Ancient American World
ARHA 275
Spring 2014 not offered
Crosslisting: LAST 274

In the early 16th century, Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, and their compatriots encountered two of the world's largest and most spectacular empires, the Aztec and the Inca. Suddenly, the Western world became aware of a parallel group of cultures flourishing in what they called the New World. These two empires, however, grew out of millennia of complex political development that preceded them in their respective areas, Mesoamerica and the Andes. This course surveys the art, architecture, and archaeology of the diverse array of peoples and cultures in ancient Mesoamerica (a geographical area that encompasses much of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras) and those that lived between the Andean mountains and the Pacific coast of present-day South America (countries including Peru, Bolivia, and Chile). Through lectures, reading assignments, and discussions, students will be expected to gain a broad understanding of the urban planning, architecture, monumental sculpture, and portable arts of the ancient Americas, from the earliest times to the arrival of Europeans in the New World. Since most of these cultures did not use the written word, the class will also regularly raise questions of methodology in pre-Columbian scholarship.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ART
Course Format: LectureGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: None

Last Updated on DEC-02-2024
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