Spring 2004

LAS 324L • 2-INDIANS OF MEXICO AND GUATEMALA

Course Description

The course opens with an introductory review of the environment, history and prehistory of Mexico and Guatemala, a summary of language distributions and broad characterization of indigenous societies in the region. The main part of the course describes a series of some 13 representative Indian societies of Mesoamerica--their lifestyles, speaking habits, social patterns, and views of the natural and supernatural universe. Students should gain insight into the richness and variety of life in Mesoamerica, into the descriptive strands that can be discerned running through the warp and weft of the Mesoamerican tapestry, and into the ways that people have adapted to changing natural and social environments. The course will be of interest to students concerned with Latin America, indigenous populations, and anthropology, among other things.

Texts

Carmack, Gasco, Gossen. 1996. The Legacy of Mesoamerica. Prentice Hall Series in Anthropology ISBN 0-13-337445-9

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