| Week | Dates | Topics and Readings |
| 1. | August 20 | Introduction: Setting the Scene Spatial Frames: Environments; Highlands and Lowlands; Kinds of Sites; Regions; Time Frames: Dates and Periods Sharer: pp. 1-56 READINGS: Fash 1994; Schele and Mathews 1998 (to be posted by Sept 3) VIDEO: Lost Kingdoms of the Maya |
| 2. | August 27 |
History of Ideas and Research - Maya Archaeology: Infancy-Maturity VIDEO: Maya thru the Ages or Quest for the Maya VIDEO: America's Castles: Planting Fields |
| 3. | September 3 | NO CLASS work on selecting term paper topic |
| 4. | September 10 | The Methodology of Maya Archaeology: Its Data Base Time and Space; Dating; Stratigraphy; Preservation; Ceramics; Ethnology and Ethnohistory; Maya History - Folk, Codices, Glyphs Sharer: pp. 57-98 READINGS: Braswell 1992; Demarest and Foias 1993; Rice & Culbert 1990; Sidrys & Berger 1979; Smith 1973; Tedlock 1993; Webster and Gonlin 1988 VIDEO: Maya Lords of the Jungle SELECTION OF TERM PAPER SITE |
| 5. | September 17 |
Development of Maya Society: The Archaeological Evidence |
| 6. | September 24 | Models for the Organization of Maya Society Maya Religion and Ideology; Priest and Peasant; The Role of Women; Ceremonial Centers and Urbanization; The Feudal Model; Galactic Polities; The Segmentary State; Towards a New Synthesis Sharer: pp. 665-714 READINGS: Ashmore 1991; Ashmore & Sabloff 2002; A. Chase & D. Chase 2004; D. Chase & A. Chase 2004; Chase, Chase, & Haviland 2002; Gillespie 2000; Houston & McAnany 2003; Issac 1996; Smith 2003; Smith 2005; Tedlock 1999 VIDEO: Maya Superstates |
| 7. | October 1 |
The Preclassic Period: The Origins of Ceremony Sharer: pp. 153-251 READINGS: Andrews V 1990; Ball & Taschek 2003; A. Chase & D. Chase 2006; D. Chase & A. Chase 2006; Hammond 1999; Matheny 1986 VIDEO: Mirador |
| 8. | October 8 | The Protoclassic: Prelude to the Diversification of Maya Society E Groups and Ancestor Worship Sharer: pp. 251-286 READINGS: Aveni & Hartung 1989; Brady et al. 1998; Chase & Chase 1995; A. Chase & D. Chase 2005 |
| 9. | October 15 |
Maya Hieroglyphic Writing: A Brief Overview READINGS: Chase & Chase 2002; Fash & Fash 1994; Marcus 1973; Marcus 1993; Martin & Grube 1995; Mathews 1991; Stuart 2005 TERM PAPER OUTLINE AND PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE |
| 10. | October 22 | The Early Classic Period: Toward a Monolithic Culture Totihuacan and Its Impact; Elaboration of Writing Systems Sharer: pp. 287-357 READINGS: D. Chase & A. Chase 2005; Coe 1966; Iglesias 2003; Laporte & Fialko 1995; Marcus 2003; Sharer 2004; Webster 2000 VIDEO: Maya: Treasures of An Ancient Civilization |
| 11. | October 29 | The Hiatus: Reformulation of the Maya Realm Sharer: p. 357-376 READINGS: A. Chase 1991; A. Chase & D. Chase 1998a; A. Chase & D. Chase 2000; D. Chase & A. Chase in press; Willey 1979 VIDEO: Caracol: The Lost Maya City |
| 12. | November 5 | The Late Classic Period: Regionalization Sharer: pp. 377-497 READINGS: Becker 2003; A. Chase & D. Chase 1996; A. Chase & D. Chase 1998b; A. Chase and D. Chase 2001; D. Chase, A. Chase, & W. Haviland 1990; Dahlin et al. 2005; Fash & Agurcia 2005; Hammond et al. 1988; Haviland 1970; Moholy-Nagy 1997; McAnany 1993 VIDEOS: Copan and/or Dos Pilas and/or Maya Stairway to the Gods |
| 13. | November 12 | NO CLASS: Vetern's Day Holiday; work on paper and presentation |
| 14. | November 19 | The "Collapse" and the Transformation of Maya Society Sharer: pp. 499-587 READINGS: Andrews et al. 2003; D. Chase & A. Chase 1982; A. Chase and D. Chase 2007; Inomata & Stiver 1998; Lucero 2002; Ringle 2004; Willey & Shimkin 1973 |
| 15. | November 26 |
The Postclassic Period: New Heights READINGS: D. Chase & A. Chase 2004; D. Chase and A. Chase 2005; D. Chase & A. Chase 2006; Milbrath & Peralta 2003; Pendergast 1981; Rathje & Sabloff 1973; Sabloff & Rathje 1975 VIDEO: Searching for the Maya |
| 16. | December 3 | PRESENTATIONS |
| 17. | December 10 |
FINAL TERM PAPER DUE PRESENTATIONS (if necessary) The Future of the Past; Wrap-Up |
